International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy

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Heavy Metals Contamination in Agricultural Soil and Rice in Tanzania: A Review

Received: 15 January 2016    Accepted: 28 January 2016    Published: 17 February 2016
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Abstract

Heavy metals contamination in agricultural soil is a potential environmental threat to the safety of agricultural food crops such as rice which is consumed by majority of Tanzanians. The aim of this review is to put together available information on sources of heavy metals, their extent of contamination in agricultural soil and in rice, the risk of exposure through rice consumption as well as the relationship between heavy metals contamination in agricultural soils and in rice in Tanzania. There are several methods of determining the concentrations of heavy metals in soils and in rice. These include Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP – MS) and Energy Dispersive X – ray Fluorescence spectrometer (EDXRF). It has been mostly reported that the extent of heavy metals contamination in agricultural soils is influenced by their closeness to mining or industrial areas. The use of river waters in mining areas or wastewater from industries for irrigation has been associated to increasing levels of heavy metals in agricultural soils. The elevated level of heavy metals in agricultural soils leads to their accumulation in crops especially rice which upon consumption poses health effects to human and the ecosystem at large. This review suggests the need for determining the extent of heavy metals contamination in agricultural soils around potential areas such as mining and to link this with exposure assessment on heavy metals through rice consumption in Tanzania. This information is necessary to establish the extent at which rice consumers in Tanzania are at risk of heavy metals exposure.

DOI 10.11648/j.ijepp.20160401.13
Published in International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy (Volume 4, Issue 1, January 2016)
Page(s) 16-23
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Mining, Contaminated Rice, Exposure Assessment, Industrial Wastes

References
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Author Information
  • Department of Water, Environmental Science and Engineering (WESE), Nelson Mandela – African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania

  • Department of Water, Environmental Science and Engineering (WESE), Nelson Mandela – African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania

  • Department of Food Biotechnology and Nutritional Sciences, Nelson Mandela – African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania

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  • APA Style

    Fides Simon, Kelvin Mark Mtei, Martin Kimanya. (2016). Heavy Metals Contamination in Agricultural Soil and Rice in Tanzania: A Review. International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy, 4(1), 16-23. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20160401.13

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    Fides Simon; Kelvin Mark Mtei; Martin Kimanya. Heavy Metals Contamination in Agricultural Soil and Rice in Tanzania: A Review. Int. J. Environ. Prot. Policy 2016, 4(1), 16-23. doi: 10.11648/j.ijepp.20160401.13

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    AMA Style

    Fides Simon, Kelvin Mark Mtei, Martin Kimanya. Heavy Metals Contamination in Agricultural Soil and Rice in Tanzania: A Review. Int J Environ Prot Policy. 2016;4(1):16-23. doi: 10.11648/j.ijepp.20160401.13

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijepp.20160401.13,
      author = {Fides Simon and Kelvin Mark Mtei and Martin Kimanya},
      title = {Heavy Metals Contamination in Agricultural Soil and Rice in Tanzania: A Review},
      journal = {International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy},
      volume = {4},
      number = {1},
      pages = {16-23},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijepp.20160401.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20160401.13},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijepp.20160401.13},
      abstract = {Heavy metals contamination in agricultural soil is a potential environmental threat to the safety of agricultural food crops such as rice which is consumed by majority of Tanzanians. The aim of this review is to put together available information on sources of heavy metals, their extent of contamination in agricultural soil and in rice, the risk of exposure through rice consumption as well as the relationship between heavy metals contamination in agricultural soils and in rice in Tanzania. There are several methods of determining the concentrations of heavy metals in soils and in rice. These include Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP – MS) and Energy Dispersive X – ray Fluorescence spectrometer (EDXRF). It has been mostly reported that the extent of heavy metals contamination in agricultural soils is influenced by their closeness to mining or industrial areas. The use of river waters in mining areas or wastewater from industries for irrigation has been associated to increasing levels of heavy metals in agricultural soils. The elevated level of heavy metals in agricultural soils leads to their accumulation in crops especially rice which upon consumption poses health effects to human and the ecosystem at large. This review suggests the need for determining the extent of heavy metals contamination in agricultural soils around potential areas such as mining and to link this with exposure assessment on heavy metals through rice consumption in Tanzania. This information is necessary to establish the extent at which rice consumers in Tanzania are at risk of heavy metals exposure.},
     year = {2016}
    }
    

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    T1  - Heavy Metals Contamination in Agricultural Soil and Rice in Tanzania: A Review
    AU  - Fides Simon
    AU  - Kelvin Mark Mtei
    AU  - Martin Kimanya
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    T2  - International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy
    JF  - International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy
    JO  - International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy
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    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-7536
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20160401.13
    AB  - Heavy metals contamination in agricultural soil is a potential environmental threat to the safety of agricultural food crops such as rice which is consumed by majority of Tanzanians. The aim of this review is to put together available information on sources of heavy metals, their extent of contamination in agricultural soil and in rice, the risk of exposure through rice consumption as well as the relationship between heavy metals contamination in agricultural soils and in rice in Tanzania. There are several methods of determining the concentrations of heavy metals in soils and in rice. These include Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP – MS) and Energy Dispersive X – ray Fluorescence spectrometer (EDXRF). It has been mostly reported that the extent of heavy metals contamination in agricultural soils is influenced by their closeness to mining or industrial areas. The use of river waters in mining areas or wastewater from industries for irrigation has been associated to increasing levels of heavy metals in agricultural soils. The elevated level of heavy metals in agricultural soils leads to their accumulation in crops especially rice which upon consumption poses health effects to human and the ecosystem at large. This review suggests the need for determining the extent of heavy metals contamination in agricultural soils around potential areas such as mining and to link this with exposure assessment on heavy metals through rice consumption in Tanzania. This information is necessary to establish the extent at which rice consumers in Tanzania are at risk of heavy metals exposure.
    VL  - 4
    IS  - 1
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