Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Transfer from Contaminated Soils to Food Crops in Pb-Zn Mining Communities of Southeastern Nigeria

Abstract: This study assessed the potential health risks associated with the transfer of heavy metals from contaminated soils to food crops in the Pb-Zn mining communities in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Soil and plant samples of Telfairia occidentalis, Manihot esculenta, and Oryza sativa were collected from Enyigba, Ameri, Ameka, and Ishiagu mining districts in Ebonyi State and analyzed for the concentration of Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, and Cr using the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer technique. Transfer Factors, Daily Intake of Metals, and Health Risk Index were used to evaluate the potential health hazards in the study area. The results indicated that Zinc has the highest Transfer Factor, ranging from 1.0 to 2.0, especially in pumpkin, Telfairia occidentalis, with a concentration of 5.9 ppm. The results of the Daily Intake of Metals indicated that the intake of Zinc, Lead, and Cadmium by children in the study area was 6.9×10⁻⁴ mg/kg/day, 6.24×10⁻⁴ mg/kg/day, and 9.4×10⁻⁶ mg/kg/day, respectively, in the contaminated vegetable samples. Similarly, the results of the Health Risk Index indicated that the potential health hazard in the study area ranges from 0.000221 to 0.023 for Zinc, 0.031 to 0.176 for Lead, and 0.00949 to 0.0232 for Cadmium, all below the threshold value of 1, indicating that the study area is safe, but the cumulative effect of the exposure and the presence of toxic metals in the edible parts of the plant require serious public health concern. Keywords: health risk assessment, transfer factor, daily intake of metals, heavy metals, food crops, bioaccumulation, Nigeria. Title: Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metal Transfer from Contaminated Soils to Food Crops in Pb-Zn Mining Communities of Southeastern Nigeria Author: Osayande A.D. International Journal of Recent Research in Interdisciplinary Sciences (IJRRIS) ISSN 2350-1049 Vol. 13, Issue 1, January 2026 - March 2026 Page No: 59-64 Paper Publications Website: www.paperpublications.org Published Date: 26-February-2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18788971 Paper Download Link (Source) https://www.paperpublications.org/upload/book/Health%20Risk%20Assessment%20of%20Heavy%20Metal-26022026-7.pdf