Assessment of Soil Physico-Chemical Properties and Heavy Metals Concentrations from Major Abattoir Sites in Kaduna Metropolis, Nigeria

This study aims to investigate the physico-chemical properties and heavy metal pollution levels of soils in four slaughterhouses in the metropolis of Kaduna. Soil samples of 0-20 cm were collected in the four slaughterhouses in the dry season and the rainy season, respectively. Soil parameters were determined using standard methods and procedures. The average pH concentrations recorded in this study ranged from 4.77 +/- 0.32 to 5.57 +/- 0.41, and spatially, high mean concentrations of Organic Carbon (OC), Organic Matter (OM), potassium (K+), nitrogen (N), and nitrate (NO3-) were obtained in the Tudun-Wada site compared with other sampling locations. The highest cadmium and zinc mean concentrations (25.03 +/- 10.21 mg/kg and 869.83 +/- 284.50 mg/kg) were observed in the Tudun-wada abattoir site. In contrast, Pb (108.49 +/- 41.90 mg/kg) was higher in Mando abattoir and Copper mean concentration was highest in Kakuri abattoir site. Seasonally, pH, cadmium, lead and Cu mean concentrations were higher in the dry season than in the rainy season, while high mean values of OC, OM, N, P, K+, NO3-, electrical conductivity and zinc (Zn) were recorded in the rainy season. The mean concentrations of heavy metals recorded from the four major abattoir soils in the Kaduna metropolis were above the Food and Agriculture Organization soil permissible limits.