Soil Quality and Morphological Response of Telfaria occidentalis (Fluted Pumpkin) in Open Dumpsites at Effurun and its Environs, Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract

The objective of this paper was to assess the soil quality and morphological response of Telfaria occidentalis (fluted pumpkin) in open dumpsites at Effurun and its environs, Delta State, Nigeria, using appropriate standard methods. Data obtained from the study showed that Telfaria occidentalis grown on contaminated soils revealed a stark contrast between growth stimulation and severe phytotoxicity: while plants at two locations showed enhanced height and yield, the most inhibited location resulted in a stunted height of 77.4 cm and a significantly reduced leaf count of 16.4 per plant compared to the control's 28.3. Crucially, the plant displayed an extreme capacity for heavy metal bioaccumulation regardless of its outward appearance, with Cadmium in the stem reaching 1.12 mg/kg (a 111,900% increase) and Lead in the leaves peaking at 24.3 mg/kg (a 1,304.6% increase). Zinc levels also surged in the stem tissues to 19.2 mg/kg, demonstrating that even when the pumpkin appears to thrive, it functions as a highly efficient hyper-accumulator of toxic elements, posing a severe risk for consumption. The study concluded that despite the potential for enhanced soil fertility, the immense and highly localized heavy metal contamination in Effurun dumpsites poses a critical and immediate threat to food safety, rendering crops like T. occidentalis unsafe for human consumption due to high toxic metal bioaccumulation.