IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL PROCESSES (IJCCP )

E-I SSN 2545-5265
P- ISSN 2695-1916
VOL. 10 NO. 3 2024
DOI: 10.56201/ijccp.v10.no3.2024.pg29.34

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Assessing Suitability of Leachates from Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) Wastes for Use in Soil Amendment in Relation to Heavy Metal Levels

Isaac U. Isaac

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Abstract

Watermelon fruits are widely consumed across Nigeria. The resultant wastes, though biodegradable, can be converted to useful soil amendment components for enhanced food crop production. This study investigated levels of nine heavy metals to ascertain suitability in terms of safety. Freshly harvested fruits that were grown in greenhouse environment were used to generate leachates. The concentrations of copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), barium (Ba) and mercury (Hg) were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) at 10 replicates per metal. Results showed that metal level increased in the order: Zn > Mn > Ni > Pb > Cu > Cd > Cr and none was above the stipulated threshold. Barium and Hg were not detected. Being grown within the same environment, there was no significant (p ? 05) difference among metal levels in leachates generated for the different fruits. Study revealed that it is safe to recycle water melon wastes derived from fruits grown in nonpolluted soils as soil amendment component.

keywords:

Leachate Quality, Water Melon, Heavy Metals, Soil Amendment, Environment

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