ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METALS IN SELECTED ORGANS OF POULTRY BIRDS, AND LOCAL CHICKENS REARED IN ADO-ODO OTA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF OGUN STATE.

Abstract

The research was focused on the estimation of selected metals present in poultry feed, water used in raising the poultry birds, feathers, blood, tissue, liver, kidney, and gizzard of layers, broilers, cockerels, and local hens purchased from farms in Ado-Odo Ota Local government area of Ogun State. The homogenized sample was weighed, and digested using aqua regia, while the blood sample was centrifuged with EDTA solution. Each sample was analyzed to determine the concentration of zinc, copper, calcium, cadmium, and nickel metals using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The result shows a range of the following values was obtained: 2.325 to 6.047 of zinc, 0.108 to 0.268 of copper, and 34.944 to 171.040 of calcium in both water, and feed samples; 0.554 to 2.810 of zinc, 0.074 to 0.538 of copper, and 13.456 to 112.022 of calcium in the poultry bird’s waste. 0.714 to 1.525 of zinc, 0.078 to 0.108 of copper, and 0.527 to 34.316 ppm of calcium in feathers; 0.483 to 2.897 of zinc, 0.048 to 0.127 of copper, and 74.289 to 149.906 ppm of calcium in blood samples. An average concentration range of 0.697 ± 0.084, 0.304 ± 0.047, 0.365 ± 0.023, and 0.374 ± 0.016 ppm of zinc was obtained in the organs and tissue of local birds, broilers, cockerels, and layer birds analyzed. While a mean value of 0.289 ± 0.156, 0.071 ± 0.001, 0.084 ± 0.025, and 0.108 ± 0.053 of copper was obtained, and 0.851 ± 0.078, 1.430 ± 0.155, 0.693 ± 0.126, and 0.836 ± 0.295 ppm values of calcium was found in the poultry bird samples. A low value of 0.003 ppm of cadmium was found in the waste of local birds, while nickel was not detected in all the samples. The p-value of the one-way ANOVA for zinc, copper, and calcium, shows each result was significant, and below the 0.05 statistical alpha level. Probability values of 0.0129, 0.0461 and 0.0065 were obtained for zinc, copper, and calcium respectively. A direct correlation was observed in concentration of zinc, and copper found in both water, and feed samples consumed by broilers, locals and cockerel birds compared with the amount of these metals found in their feathers. It was observed that local birds show greater tendencies to bioaccumulate zinc and copper metals than the poultry birds.