Abstract

Street dust and neem tree samples (Azadirachta indica) from Maiduguri Metropolis, Borno State, Nigeria were collected for the determination of trace elements. The highest concentrations of metals were found to be higher at the seven sampling points, while the lowest levels were observed in the street dust samples from the control sites. The concentrations of all the metals in plant samples were significantly highest in the leaves of Azadirachta indica, while the stem bark shows the least values. Levels of chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) in plant samples exceeded the world health organization standard limits for medicinal plants. At the same time, the traffic situation in the area of study might be regarded as a source of heavy metal content in the roadside dust and plant samples.

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