Determination Of Selected Physico-Chemical Parameters And The Levels Of Heavy Metals In Irrigation Water And Tomato Samples Collected From Dukem River, Gogecha Industrial Area, Dukem, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia.

Abstract

In Dukem town, around Gogecha industrial area, industries were located along the Dukem river. Pollutants such as heavy metals and organic chemicals were mainly come from these industries and discharged into this river with little treatment. This river was used for various purposes such as washing and irrigation activities. Many farms around this area were cultivated tomato vegetable. Within this context to assessed the distributions of toxic heavy metals in the Dukem river system (irrigation water and tomato vegetable). The mean concentrations of physicochemical parameters determined in irrigation water (water site B to water site A) were in the ranges temperature (25.5 to 27.12 °C), pH (7.4 to 7.875), EC (747.4 to 1438 µS/cm) and turbidity (82.65 to 179.6 NTU) respectively. The levels of heavy metals determined in irrigation water (water site B to water site A) were in the ranges Pb (0.9 - 5.1 mg/L), Cu (0.73 - 1.2 mg/L), Fe (2.9 - 6.5 mg/L) and Cr (0.79 - 1.3 mg/L) respectively and in the tomato vegetable were Pb (10.28 mg/kg), Cu (4.20 mg/kg), Fe (451.33 mg/kg) and Cr (2.36 mg/kg). The levels of Pb, Cr and Fe in irrigation water and tomato vegetable were above the permissible values from WHO/FAO. The level of cadmium in irrigation water and tomato vegetable was not detected. The results indicated that tomato vegetable was contaminated with toxic heavy metals (Pb, Cr and Fe). Therefore, the irrigation water from the Gogecha industrial area was harmful to the environment and posed a serious threat to human health.