Assessment of Cadmium, Chromium, and Lead Concentrations in Water, Bank Soil, Sediment, Plants, and Fish in Bagega Lake, Zamfara State, Northwest-Nigeria

Bagega community is an artisanal mining community with a history of Pb poisoning. The community is served by a small lake as an important source of water for cattle watering, irrigation, washing, and fishing among other uses. The concentration of Cd, Cr, and Pb in soil and plants at the bank, surface water, sediment, and fish of the lake were analysed using Agilent 4210 MP-AES machine after microwave digestion using the Advanced Microwave Digestion System model (Ethos easy). The concentrations of Pb and Cr in water from Bagega Lake were found to be above the WHO acceptable limits. This presents a health risk to humans and other animals that utilize directly or indirectly utilize the water in the lake. Catfish (Clarias anguillaris) and Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) had higher Pb and Cr concentrations in the gills than in the liver and h muscle (flesh). The concentrations of Cr, Cd and Pb of soils in the bank and sediment of Bagega Lake were below the WHO acceptable limits. A total of thirteen (13) plant species belonging to seven (7) families were identified to be dominant around the Bagega Lake during the time of study and they all show the potential of bioaccumulation of Cr and Pb based on their BCF.