TRACE ELEMENT ANALYSIS IN SOME NIGERIAN FOODS:A CASE STUDY OF LAPAI, NIGER STATE

Abstract Trace elements are critical in the nutritional intake of human beings, though, excessive consumption can be hazardous. This research paper has determined the levels of the selected trace elements in the popular Nigerian foodstuffs available at the Lapai Local Government Area in Niger State, Nigeria. A total of ten food samples including cereals (rice, millet), tubers (cassava, sweet potato), legumes (beans, groundnut), fruits (orange, plantain), and spices (ginger, garlic) were sampled to the Lapai market. Elemental determination was done by subjecting the samples to properly dry them in an oven, crushing them, and wet digestion with the help of nitric acid and perchloric acid. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) was used to quantify the concentrations of copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) concentrations. The levels of Cu and Fe were found to be 0.89-1.96 and 0.20-25.80 with 0.67-4.77 and 0.13-6.71 respectively. The levels of Mg, Mn and Zn were found to be 0.67-4.77, 0.13-6.71 and 3.52-4.53 respectively in the samples analyzed. The concentration of Fe was found to be the highest in beans, whereas the concentration of Mn was the highest in plantain. The concentration of all the measured trace elements was less than the set permissible limits and recommended dietary intake limits on international regulatory bodies. The results suggest that the foodstuffs under analysis are not toxic with regard to trace elements and play a moderate role in terms of the dietary mineral intake. In the present study, baseline information on trace element compositions of selected foods eaten in Lapai is given and more investigation with replicate analysis and the use of advanced methods of analysis are given to enhance the statistical strength.