Global Journal of Science Frontier Research, D: Agriculture and Veterinary, Volume 23 Issue 1

Cropland Bioaccumulation Risks of Potentially Toxic Elements in Soil of Some Designated Foodstuffs Cultivated in Odu’a Farm Establishment, Aawe, Oyo State, Nigeria Taiwo O. Ogunwale α , John Adekunle O. Oyekunle σ , Aderemi O. Ogunfowokan ρ , Simeon O. Oyetola Ѡ & Oluwaseun Femi Ogunrinola ¥ Abstract- The purpose of this work was to estimate heavy element bioaccumulation in fo ur staple food crops s pecies, specifically sweet cassava ( Manihot esculenta ), maize ( Zea mays L. ), plantain ( Musa paradisiaca L. ), and white yam ( Dios corea rotundata L. ), and to assess the human health risks of food crops intake. The analyzed heavy elements included arsenic, cadmium, copper, manganese, lead, and zinc for their bioac cumulation factors to pro vide benchmark point information regarding ecological health and the suitableness of a farm established in the time ahead. The bioaccumulation factor, heavy elementpollution load index, acceptable daily intake of elements, human health risk index, target hazard quotient toxicology, total diet target hazard quotient, and total target hazard quotienttechniques were employed to estimate the human health risks analysis caused by heavy elements via staple food crops consumption. Quality control techniques comprised blank analysis, spike recovery analysis, and calibration of concentrations. We adopted descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze the data. Overall mean HEPLI values for both seasons were 0.54 and 0.88, 0.28 and 0.92, 0.31 and 0.37, 0.52 and 0.55, 0.28 and 0.55 and 0.24 and 0.31, for As, Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn, respectively. Elements in staple food crops were lower than in soils, with ranges of 1.83- 3.91, 0.02-0.06, 0.06-0.43, 10.30-26.14, 0.04-0.23 and 2.73- 12.04 mg/kg, for As, Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn, respectively. The levels of heavy elements in consumable parts of the diverse staple food crops diminished in this order as plantain > maize > yam > cassava. Arsenic in the study staple food crops exceeded Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization guideline values. Analysis of DAEs, HHRI, THQ, TDTHQ and TTHQ for the four staple food crops indicated that local populations were unsafe and were at threat of potentially prolonged health effects from nutritional As. Keywords: toxic heavy elements; human health risk indices; staple food crops; farm establishment; ecosystem health. I. I ntroduction igeria is an agrarian nation with about 70% of her over 195 million people involved in the farmings sector (Ogunwale et al., 2021), and it adds support for two-thirds (2/3) of Nigerians who are low- income earners (Ogunwale et al., 2021). While the Northern side can indemnity the production of cereals like sorghum, maize, millet, groundnut, melon, cowpea, and cotton, the Middle Belt and the South enjoy the potential to raise root tubers like cassava, yam, cocoyam, and the like crops plantain in addition to maize (Ogunwale et al., 2021). Besides food crops, the country is likewise included in the managing of farm animals, fisheries, forestry, and undomesticated animals. Nigeria is enriched chiefly with ample biological resources, sundry all-season rivers and auspicious tropical weather. Rainfall is usually sufficient and correctly well-supplied throughout the country (Ogunwale et al., 2021). Of the 98.321 million ha of land found in Nigeria, about 75.30% may be assigned as arable land, of which 10% is under forest reserves and the remaining 14.70% is given to be constituted of permanent pastures, built-up areas, and useless waste (FMARD, 2012). In light of the above-mentioned, agriculture is still a key industry and continuing to be the backbone of the Nigerian economy (Ogunwale et al., 2021). With the intention of face-lift the farm sector, quite scores of programmes and policies have been carried out by means of the Nigerian Government to boost efficiency in the farming sector consist of:- Farm Settlement Scheme (FSS), Marketing and Commodity Board, National Accelerated Food Product Programme (NAFFP), Agricultural Development Project (ADPs), National Seed Service (NSS), Agricultural Credit and Guarantee Scheme Fund (ACGSF), National Agricultural Cooperative and Rural Development Bank (NACRDB), Operation Feed the Nation (OFN), River Basin Development Authority (RBDA), Green Revolution (GR), Directorate for Food, Road and Rural Infrastructure N 1 Year 2023 5 © 2023 Global Journals Global Journal of Science Frontier Research Volume XXIII Issue ersion I VI ( ) Author α ¥ : Institute of Ecology and Environmental Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile – Ife. e-mails: twogunwal@gmail.com , oluwaseunogunrinola@gmail.com Author σ ρ : Department of Chemistry, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- Ife, Nigeria; Faculty of Science, Nigeria. e-mails: biola4jaao@yahoo.com , remiogunfowokan@gmail.com Author Ѡ : Department of Soil and Land Resource Management, University of Abuja, Nigeria; Faculty of Agriculture. e-mail: Oyetola.oyesoji@uniabuja.edu.ng D