The Potential Role of Cadmium, Chromium, Lead and Nickel to the Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease in Hadejia, Jigawa State, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/fjs-2026-1016-5818Keywords:
Hadejia, Chronic Kidney Disease, Cadmium, Lead, NickelAbstract
This study examined the potential role of cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb) and nickel (Ni) in the prevalence of chronic kidney diseases (CKD) in Hadejia. These heavy metals were analyzed in water, vegetables and blood samples of CKD patients. All samples were prepared using acid digestion, and heavy metals were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). The results indicate that Cd, Cr, Pb and Ni levels found in all the blood and drinking water samples analyzed exceeded the WHO permissible limit. While the Cd, Cr and Ni levels in spinach, lettuce and onions were below the threshold limit. However, the levels of Pb in onions (0.110±0.880mg/kg to 0.030±0.0001mg/kg) and lettuces (0.050±0.0013mg/kg to 0.740±0.0001mg/kg) analyzed exceeded the recommended limit in most of these samples. The elevated Cd, Cr, Pb, and Ni concentrations observed in both CKD patients and control subjects suggest environmental exposure to these heavy metals within the study area. The presence of high levels of these heavy metals in water and blood samples is of great concern, as these metals have been implicated for their nephrotoxic effects. The findings indicate that heavy metals contamination may be a potential contributing factor to the increasing burden of chronic kidney disease in Hadejia.
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