PEER REVIEWED ARTICLE No 4 - VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION PATTERN OF HOUSEHOLDS IN SELECTED AREAS OF THE OLD RIVERS STATE IN NIGERIA

The vegetable consumption pattern of households in selected areas in the old Rivers State (now Rivers and Bayelsa States) in Nigeria was investigated. Areas studied were Port Harcourt the State capital, Igwuruta, Ahoada and Kaiama. Results showed that mothers consumed 59 ± 0.45g to 130 ± 2.04g/person/day of vegetables between the months of May and July, the peak season of vegetable production. Factors that influenced vegetable consumption were found to be chiefly season and culture. Other factors were availability/price for 43.8% of households in Kaiama, a riverine community, while taste and nutrition knowledge wielded minor influences. Leafy vegetables were consumed at least four times per week in Igwuruta and Port Harcourt, while households in Ahoada and Kaiama, where culture had strong influence, consumed them only occasionally. Vegetables consumed were mainly pumpkin leaves (Telfairia occidentialis ) and okro (Abelmoschus esculentus ) in areas where season played a strong role. In areas where culture had a strong influence, bitterleaf, a leafy vegetable that undergoes rigorous process of squeezing and washing and is only scantly used in soups, was the vegetable of choice. Other vegetables less frequently consumed were Amaranthus hybridus, Pterocarpus spp., Gnetum africanum and Piper guineense leaves. These were used chiefly in various soup dishes eaten as accompaniments with the starchy staples. Other dishes in which leafy vegetables were consumed were pottage in those areas of high vegetable consumption, and occasionally in stew by all households investigated. Household size of 5 to 8 persons consumed their soup dishes between two and four days, while larger households of nine and above ate their soups in one day. However, households with deep freezer facilities stored their soup dishes for up to seven days. In spite of the reasonable consumption of vegetables during the peak season of production, reports of micronutrient deficiencies in Nigeria are rife, indicating a need for intervention. Possible reasons for the high prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies are seasonal variations in vegetable production, inadequate processing and preservation of vegetables for all year distribution and culture which may limit adequate consumption of leafy vegetables even when they are in abundance. This situation underscores the need for nutrition education, coupled with a program on dietary diversification to create awareness, increase production, processing, preservation and consumption of vegetables

PEER REVIEWED ARTICLE No 2 - CONCENTRATIONS OF TRACE METALS (LEAD, IRON, COPPER AND ZINC) IN CROPS HARVESTED IN SOME OIL PROSPECTING LOCATIONS IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

Concentrations of the trace metals lead, iron, copper and zinc were estimated in crops harvested in some oil prospecting locations in Rivers State, Nigeria. The locations were; Agbada-Aluu (AA), Ebocha (EB), Idu Ekpeye (IE), Obagi (OB) and Trans Amadi Layout (TA), with the Teaching and Research Farm of Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt as control. Crops investigated were cassava (Manihotesculenta ), cocoyam (Colocasiaesculenta ), okra (Hibiscusesculentus ), pumpkin leaves (Telfairiaoccidentalis ) and waterleaf (Talinumtraingulare ). Results of the mean lead concentrations were from 1.1μg/g in cocoyam to 9.1 μg/g in okro, showing higher trends in the industrialized areas. While cocoyam had the lowest lead concentration, the concentration rest of the crops did not differ significantly from one another. Crops from locations TA, OB, IE and EB had significantly higher concentrations of lead, although IE, AA and TF were not significantly different from one another. Mean concentrations of iron were between 40 μg/g in cassava from TF, and 651 μg/g in pumpkin leaves from TA - the industrial base of Rivers State - reflecting a high level of pollution from the various industries in that location. Differences in concentration of iron in crops showed pumpkin leaves to have the highest level of iron, followed by the other green vegetables - waterleaf and okra although no significant differences occurred between okra, cocoyam and cassava. Copper concentrations were between 4.4 μg/g in cocoyam from locations TF and 23 μg/g in pumpkin leaves from TA. Pumpkin leaves had the highest concentrations of copper, followed by okra, then waterleaf, with cocoyam and cassava having the least significant levels. Zinc concentrations in crops were between 29 μg/g in cocoyam from TF to 240 μg/g in pumpkin leaves from EB. Pumpkin leaves and okra contained the highest levels of the metal, followed by waterleaf, then cassava and finally cocoyam. In terms of location, TA, OB and EB had the highest concentrations in crops, the least occurring in TF and AA. These results reflect higher concentrations of metals in crops from the industrialized locations, with the green vegetables, particularly pumpkin leaves, having the highest uptake, while cocoyam invariably had the least. These findings give cause for concern, particularly as heavy metals are bio-accumulative in the system and portend a serious health risk to man and animals