Abstract:
Contaminations of soil by heavy metals are extremely threatening to both
plant and animal lives. This study looked at the levels of heavy metals in the
soils and stems of the coconut plantation farms from Ajumako-Enyan Essiam
through to Bobikuma in the Central Region of Ghana and assessed its possible
contribution to the destruction of the plant. One hundred soil and one hundred
stem samples were collected. Heavy metals that were analyzed in these
samples were Zinc, Iron, Copper, Nickel, Chromium, Lead, Manganese and
Cadmium. Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (Shimadzu 7000 AS) was used to
analyze the samples after the samples were digested. From the findings, the
pHs of the soil were within acceptable limit for plant growth set by the WHO
standard except soil sample site 10 for the wet season. For organic carbon, the
data obtained shows that some sample sites (6 and 8) for the dry season and
sample site (1, 2,3,4,6 and 7) had higher levels of organic carbon than the
acceptable limit which 0.5-3.5 is set by WHO. The findings of electrical
conductivity proves the soil on the various sites were non saline. The levels of
cation exchange capacity proves the soil had adequate levels of the ions in the
soil. Concentration of some of the selected heavy metals like Fe during the dry
season in the soil samples exceeded the WHO standard for plant growth. For
the stem samples, Fe, Zn, Cu and Pb having high levels of heavy metals in
some sample sites. Finally, comparing the result to an unpublished thesis on
where the coconut are dying, it can be seen that heavy metals might be a
contributing factor to the death of the coconut palm.
