Accumulation and risk assessment of metals in palm oil cultivated on contaminated oil palm plantation soils

Anthropogenically polluted soils with metals are detrimental to human life. The present study assessed the concentration of metals in soil and the risks associated with the consumption of the metals when transferred from soil to palm oil. The metals of interest were Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni and Zn. Analysis was done on metals in soil and virgin palm oil from fifteen independent sampling locations in the southern states of Nigeria, which includes the Nigeria Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) and its substations. Top soils were collected at a depth of 0−15 cm and virgin palm oil in 1 litre container by grab sampling method. The method proposed was to achieve high throughput with minimal mobile phase solvent. Micro emulsion technique was involved as sample preparation method for the extraction of metals in virgin palm oil from the matrix. Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) was used to analyse metals in virgin palm oil and soil. This reduces analysis time and does not require complex sample preparation. Zinc metal recorded the highest concentration of metal in the palm oil and Chromium metal recorded the highest concentration of metal in soil. There was a correlation between the accumulations of metals from soil to palm oil. Risk was assessed using various indices. Cadmium metal recorded the highest concentration in the Target Hazard Quotient (THQ), Accumulation Factor (AF) and Health Risk Index (HRI). Daily Intake of Metals (DIM) was highest for Chromium metal. Cadmium was the highest accumulator of metals in the palm oil.