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Assessment of microcystins in surface water and irrigated vegetables in Kwaru stream, Hayin Danmani, Kaduna-Nigeria

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Abstract

Microcystins (MCs) are hepatotoxic secondary metabolites produced by several genera of cyanobacteria. Human exposure routes include drinking contaminated water and consuming contaminated fish, vegetables, crops, and even food supplements that contain cyanotoxin. This study investigated the presence of MCs in a stream with a long history of use as a source of water for irrigation farming. To establish the risk of a lack of monitoring programs, we studied MCs contamination of irrigated vegetables. Toxin levels in the water were generally <0.05 μg L−1 in all the investigated stations. Total microcystin concentrations in spinach (0.306 μg Kg−1 upstream and 0.217 μg Kg−1 downstream), lettuce (0.085 μg Kg−1 upstream and 0.462 μg Kg−1 downstream), carrot (0.050 μg Kg−1 downstream and 0.116 μg Kg−1 downstream), cabbage (0.014 μg Kg−1 upstream and 0.031 μg Kg−1 downstream), tomatoes (0.233 μg Kg−1 upstream), and bitter leaf (0.460 μg Kg−1 upstream and 0.050 μg Kg−1 downstream) collected in March were higher than the levels detected in samples of the same vegetables collected in April. These results highlight Nigeria’s severe public health problem, especially in regions with long dry season spells. The level of MCs contamination of irrigated vegetables implies a potential for chronic exposure and associated health challenges.

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Availability of data and materials

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria

    Halima Abdullahi, Yahuza Tanimu & Mathias Ahii Chia

  2. Department of Plant Biology, Osun State University, Osogbo, Nigeria

    Suwebat Ayanronke Akinyemi

  3. Department of Biological Sciences, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias, 11, São Dimas, Zip Code 13, Piracicaba, SP, 418-900, Brazil

    Maria do Carmo Bittencourt-Oliveira

Authors
  1. Halima Abdullahi
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  2. Yahuza Tanimu
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  3. Suwebat Ayanronke Akinyemi
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  4. Maria do Carmo Bittencourt-Oliveira
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  5. Mathias Ahii Chia
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study’s conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Halima Abdullahi, Suwebat Ayanronke Akinyemi, Maria do Carmo Bittencourt-Oliveira, Yahuza Tanimu, and Mathias Ahii Chia. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Halima Abdullahi, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Mathias Ahii Chia.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Responsible Editor: Vitor Vasconcelos

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Abdullahi, H., Tanimu, Y., Akinyemi, S.A. et al. Assessment of microcystins in surface water and irrigated vegetables in Kwaru stream, Hayin Danmani, Kaduna-Nigeria. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 78303–78313 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21381-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21381-w

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