DETERMINATION AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSES OF HEAVY

METAL LEVELS IN RED AND GREEN PEPPER FROM DIFFERENT

LOCATIONS IN KANO STATE

By

AISHA ABUBAKAR JINJIRI

UG17CHM1053

A PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF

CHEMISTRY, YUSUF MAITAMA SULE UNIVERSITY, KANO IN
PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD
OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE CHEMISTRY (B. Sc CHEMISTRY)

APRIL, 2023

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 CERTIFICATION

This is to certify that research Topic “Determination and Comparative Analyses of Heavy Metal

Levels in Red and Green Pepper from different locations in Kano State” has been carried out by

Aisha Abubakar Jinjiri with the registration number UG17CHM1053 in partial fulfillment of the

requirement for the award of a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) Degree in Yusuf Maitama Sule

University, Kano Nigeria.

_________________________________ ____________________________________
Dr. Isa Baba Koki Date
Project Supervisor

_______________________________ ____________________________________
Prof. IT Suraj
External Examiner
Date

_________________________________ ____________________________________
Ass.Prof. Abdullahi Salihi Kiyawa
Internal Examiner Date

_________________________________ ____________________________________
Mal. Yahya Ahmad Tijjani Date
Project Coordinator

_________________________________ ____________________________________
Dr. Isa Baba Koki Date
Head of Department

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 DECLARATION

This research topic “Determination and Comparative Analyses of Heavy Metal Levels in Red

and Green Pepper from different locations in Kano State” has been carried out by Aisha

Abubakar Jinjiri with the registration number UG17CHM1053 in partial fulfillment of the

requirement for the award of a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) Degree in Yusuf Maitama Sule

University, Kano Nigeria.

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 DEDICATION

I dedicated this work to my beloved family, my parents, siblings and well-wishers.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am most grateful to Allah for making it possible for me to accomplish this work successfully.

My deepest appreciation goes to my parent for their financial and the moral support throughout

my life I pray that Allah will reward them abundantly.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my Project supervisor, Dr. Isa Baba Koki for his

dedicated and fatherly treatments besides the invaluable ideas and suggestions he shared with

me. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the support which are difficult to express in

words.

Finally my thanks and gratitude goes to Mal. Muhammad and Mal. Kamalu Garba Sulaiman and

all staff and members of chemistry department for their countless supports.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page.....................................................................................................................................i

Approval page………………………………………………………………………………….ii

Certification……………………………………………………………………………………iii

Dedication……………………………………………………………………………………...iv

Acknowledgement……………………………………………………………………………..v

Table of content………………………………………………………………………………..vi

Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………...vii

CHAPTER ONE..............................................................................................................................1

1.0 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................1

1.1 HEAVY METALS...............................................................................................................3

1.1.1 SOURCES OF HEAVY METALS...................................................................................4

1.1.2 HEAVY METALS AND THEIR TOXICITY.................................................................5

1.2 CADMIUM (Cd)..................................................................................................................6

1.3 LEAD (Pb)............................................................................................................................7

1.4 ZINC....................................................................................................................................9

1.5 COPPER.............................................................................................................................10

1.6 CHROMIUM (Cr)..............................................................................................................12

1.7 Pepper.................................................................................................................................13

1.8 Aim and objectives.............................................................................................................15

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CHAPTER TWO...........................................................................................................................16

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW...................................................................................................16

CHAPTER THREE.......................................................................................................................23

3.0 MATERIAL AND METHODS..........................................................................................23

3.1 Material...............................................................................................................................23

3.1.1 Equipment.......................................................................................................................23

3.1.2 Reagents..........................................................................................................................23

3.2 Collection of Samples..............................................................................................................24

3.3 Sample Preparation..................................................................................................................24

3.4 Heavy metals quantification....................................................................................................24

CHAPTER FOUR.........................................................................................................................25

4.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION.........................................................................................25

4.1 RESULTS...........................................................................................................................25

4.2 Discussion...........................................................................................................................26

CHAPTER FIVE...........................................................................................................................28

5.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION.................................................................28

5.1 Conclusion..........................................................................................................................28

5.2 Recommendation................................................................................................................28

REFERENCE................................................................................................................................30

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 ABSTRACT
Heavy metals are essential for biochemical and physiological functions and necessary for
maintaining health throughout life. The problem arises when the irrigation water comes from
sewage and industrial fed lakes, rivers or contaminated ground water. The aim of the study is to
carry out the determination and make comparative analyses of pepper obtained from different
location. The Samples of the pepper were collected from the various sellers from Tarauni market,
Yankaba market, and Rimi market Kano. Five metals i.e. Copper, Cadmium, Lead, Zinc, and
Chromium were analyzed through Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS).

From the results obtained, the pepper found with high levels concentration of heavy metals
is Pb, having the highest concentration of 4.35mg/kg in green pepper from Tarauni market and
the least concentration of 1.2mg/kg in green pepper from Rimi market. Pb in all the samples was
found higher than other metals in all the five selected samples. From the result obtained, it was
found that the level of Zinc in the samples was found to be higher in red pepper from Yankaba
market having a concentration of 28.525mg/kg, followed by the green pepper from Tarauni
market having a concentration of 24.73333mg/kg and having the least concentration in red pepper
from Rimi market having a concentration of 16.83333mg/kg.

The data will help to provide the status of heavy metal in the peppers sell in the respective
markets and also to assure food safety and to protect the user of peppers that might affect our
health. It is concluded that, peppers consumed by urban consumers contains Lead (Pb) higher
than their permissible levels. However other heavy metals determined in this study are within the
permissible limit. It is recommended that, peppers consumed by urban consumers contains heavy
metals less than their permissible levels.

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