Determination of Some Heavy Metals in Kidney, Liver and Muscle of Domestic pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) in Guyuk Metropolis, Adamawa state, Nigeria

A research conducted on domestic pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) was carried out to determine heavy metal (Pb, Cu, Fe, Ni and Cd) levels in the pork meat (kidney liver and muscle) of domestic pig (S. scrofa domesticus) in Guyuk Metropolis, Adamawa State, Nigeria. Samples of the Sus scrofa domesticus Kidney, Liver, and Muscle (pork meat) were requested and bought from ten (10) different S. scrofa domesticus commercial sellers in Guyuk Metropolis, Adamawa State of Nigeria. The fresh samples were collected and stored in a sample bottle and were transported to Animal Production Laboratory Adamawa State University Mubi for digestion and determination of heavy metals concentration (chemical analysis). Determination of heavy metals was done using Buck Scientific 230 model, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The result reveals that, all the heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Fe, Ni and Cd) studied have the highest mean concentration in the Liver, 0.095±0.001mg/g, 0.086±0.001mg/g, 8.165±0.001mg/g, 0.022±0.001mg/g and 0.042±0.001mg/g respectively, followed by muscle 0.085±0.000mg/g, 0.538±0.001mg/g, 3.778±0.001mg/g, 0.011±0.000mg/g and 0.34±0.001mg/g respectively. The least mean concentration of these heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Fe, Ni and Cd) was found in the Kidney with 0.076±0.001mg/g, 0.255±0.001mg/g 0.943±0.001mg/g, 0.010±0.000mg/g and 0.022±0.001mg/g respectively and there was no significant difference of the mean concentrations of Fe, Ni and Cd at (P>0.05) in the organs of the S. scrofa domesticus studied. But there are significant differences of the mean concentration Pb and Cu at (P>0.05) in the organs of the S. scrofa domesticus studied. Female S. scrofa domesticus has higher mean concentration of all the heavy metals than the male S. scrofa domesticus sampled. All the studied heavy metals concentrations were just slightly above the permissible limit set by FAO/WHO. Therefore consumption of pork meat should be minimized to avoid bioaccumulation and biomagnification of these heavy metals. Furthermore, domestic pigs (S. scrofa domesticus) should not be on free range to avoid unnecessary feeding on feeds that contained high amount of heavy metals.