Cadmium uptake by Telfaria Occidentalis Hook F.(cucurbitaceae) grown in cadmiun-polluted soil

Abstract

Five seedlings of locally purchased Telfairia occidentalis Hook f. (fluted pumpkin) were cultivated in cadmium polluted soils. Leaves of the plant were plucked after 5 weeks of growth from five replicate treatments and an untreated control. These leaves were air-dried, digested and analyzed spectrophotometrically for cadmium. Fifty milligrams per litre (50mg/l) dilution of stock solution of cadmium had mean level of accumulation ( S. E.) of 2.28 1.49 mg/kg while 15 mg/L and 4.5 mg/L gave cadmium levels of 1.96 1.60 mg/kg and 1.25 0.01 mg/kg respectively. Crude protein yields of 86.66 3.30 mg/kg, 87.70 1.89 mg/kg and 88.89 1.93 mg/kg were obtained for the replicate treatments of 50mg/L and 4.5mg/L cadmium respectively. Anova tests showed that the differences between cadmium levels accumulated for control and treatment plants were significant (no overlap in standard error) at 5% level of probability. There were no such significant differences (P 0.05) for the amount of crude protein yields when the control was compared to the treatments. T. occidentalis therefore poses a threat of cadmium poisoning to the population of the Niger Delta Area where the vegetable is commonly grown and consumed.

Keywords: polluted soils, Cadmium, Anova Test, Niger Delta, T. Occidentials.


(Global Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences: 2002 8(4): 497-500)