Assessment of Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni and As Contamination/Pollution Load Indices in Milled Millet: Evaluation of the Impact of Grinding Plates in Agro-Food Milling Processes

N.J. Mensah¹ , S. Antwi-Akomeah² , S. Akanlu³ , G.S. Etsey⁴ , S.M.B. Bieranye⁵ , D. Quarshie⁶

Section:Research Paper, Product Type: Journal-Paper
Vol.6 , Issue.1 , pp.21-29, Jan-2020

Online published on Jan 31, 2020

Copyright © N.J. Mensah, S. Antwi-Akomeah, S. Akanlu, G.S. Etsey, S.M.B. Bieranye, D. Quarshie . This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
 

View this paper at   Google Scholar | DPI Digital Library

XML View     PDF Download

How to Cite this Paper

Abstract :
The study sought to investigate the contribution of grinding plates to heavy metal levels in milled millet within the Wa Municipality of Ghana. The levels of selected heavy metals including Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni and As in milled millet were determined using the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer model AA 220. The levels of these elements in the milled millet samples exceeded the levels found in the control sample indicative that grinding plates used in milling millet samples potentially contributed to the higher levels of these metals recorded. The abundance of these elements followed the order- Fe > Cu > Cr > Ni > As across the various milled millet samples tested. Contamination indices of 1.46 - 2.32, 1.14 - 4.21, 1.03 - 34.17, 1.16 - 2.12 and 1.00 - 9.00 were recorded for Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni and As respectively. Recorded contamination indices essentially reflect varying degrees of pollution rather than contamination. Pollution load indices across milled millet samples on the other hand ranged from 5.13 - 1017.74. Pollution load indices attained in the current study suggest very highly polluted milled millet samples. These indices invariably suggest that milled samples in general were contaminated/polluted with the aforementioned heavy metals and potentially threaten the health of consumers. The present findings corroborate the findings of several other studies on the impact of grinding plates in the milling of agro-foods such as maize, cassava among others.

Key-Words / Index Term :
Agro-food Grinding/Milling Machine; Grinding Plates; Heavy Metal Contamination; Millet Flour; Cast Iron; Wa Municipality.

References :
[1] S. Kwofie, A. Andrews, E. Mensah, E. “The Quality of Locally Manufactured Cornmill Grinding Plates”, Journal of Science and Technology, Vol. 31, Issue 1, pp. 152-159, 2011.
[2] P.J. Adeti. “Assessment of Heavy Metals Introduced into Food through Milling Process: Health Implications”, Unpublished Mphil. Theses, pp. 1-57, 2012.
[3] W. Johnson, “Metallurgy”, 5th Edition. Technical Publishers Inc. U.S.A. pp. 269-279, 1977.
[4] S. Kwofie, H.D. Chandler, “Potential Health Effects of Locally Manufactured Corn-Mill Grinding Plates”, Journal of Science and Technology, Vol. 26, Issue 2, pp. 137-147, 2006.
[5] N.J. Mensah, S. Antwi-Akomeah, S. Akanlu, S.M.B. Bieranye, E.G. Sebiawu, “Residual Levels of Heavy Metal Contaminants in Cattle Hides Singed with Scrap Tyre and Firewood Fuel Sources: a Comparative Study in the Wa Municipality of Ghana”, American Journal of Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 3, Issue 1: pp. 1-11, 2019.
[6] Ghana Statistical Service, “Population and Housing Census: Summary Report of Final Results”, Sakoa Press Limited, Ghana, pp. 1-117, 2012.
[7] R.D. Dinye, A. Abdul-Moomin, “Microcredit as an Instrument of Sustainable Enterprise Development: An Impact Assessment Case Study of Smallholder Livestock Production Programme in Wa Municipality in Ghana”, Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, Vol. 15, Issue 1, pp. 73-91, 2013.
[8] M.R. Motsara, R.N. Roy, “Guide to Laboratory Establishment for Plant Nutrient Analysis”. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, pp. 1-204, 2008.
[9] S. Antwi-Akomeah, B. Fei-Baffoe, E.J.D. Belford, P. Osei-Fosu, “Impact Analysis of Cow and Goat Biles as Amendments in the Remediation of Petroleum Contaminated Water Using a Fixed-Bed Bioreactor Setup”, Int. J. Res., Vol. 5, Issue 12, pp. 348-349, 2018a.
[10] S. Antwi-Akomeah, B. Fei-Baffoe, E.J.D. Belford, P. Osei-Fosu, “Biostimulation of Immobilized Microbes in a Fixed-Bed Bioreactor towards Hydrocarbon Contaminated Water Remediation using Compost Tea and Egg Shell Powder”, Am. J. Environ. Sci. Technol.,Vol. 2, Issue 1, pp. 1-17, 2018b.
[11] D.C, Thomilson, D.J. Wilson, C.R. Harris, “Problem in Heavy Metals in Estuaries and the Formation of Pollution Index”, Helgol Mar Res., Vol. 33: pp. 566-575, 1980.
[12] H.O. Nwankwoala, A.J. Ememu, “Contamination Indices and Heavy Metal Concentrations in Soils in Okpoko and Environs, Southeastern Nigeria”, Journal of Environmental Science and Public Health, Vol. 2, Issue 2, pp. 77-95, 2018. Doi: 10.26502/jesph.96120031.
[13] R. Lacutusu, “Appraising levels of soil contamination and pollution with heavy metals: In Heinike, HJ, Eckselman, W and Thomasson, AJ. Land information systems for planning the sustainable use of land resource”, European Soil Bureau Research Report No. 4. Office of Official Publication of the European Communities, Luxembourg, pp. 393-402, 2000.
[14] A. Andrews, S. Kwofie, “Corrosion of Cast Iron Mill Plates in Wet Grinding”, Leonardo Electronic Journal of Practices and Technologies, Vol. 17, No.1 pp. 97-108, 2010.
[15] V. Rajagopal, I. Iwasaki, “Properties of Cast Iron Ball Materials in Wet Grinding”, Corrosion, Vol. 48, Issue 2, pp. 124-132, 1992.
[16] World Health Organization (WHO), “Permissible Limits of Heavy Metals in Soil and Plants”, Geneva, Switzerland, 1996.
[17] N.C. Andrews, “Disorders of Iron Metabolism”, N Engl J Med., Vol. 34, Issue 1, pp. 1986-1995, 1999.
[18] M.Z.A. Chowdhurya, Z.A. Siddique, S.M.A. Hossain, A.I. Kazi, M.A. Ahsan, S. Ahmed, M.M, Zaman, “Determination of Essential and Toxic Metals in Meats, Meat Products and Eggs by Spectrophotometric Method”, Journal of Bangladesh Chemical Society, Vol. 24, Issue 2, pp. 165-172, 2011.
[19] USEPA. “Risk-based Concentration Table”. Philadelphia. United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, 2009.