Aims: To investigate the concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead
(Pb), nickel (Ni), vanadium (V) and zinc (Zn) in commercially available inorganic fertilizers
(calcium superphosphate and urea).
Place and Duration of Study: Urea and superphosphate fertilizers were purchased from
a local market in Uyo, Southern Nigeria.
Methodology: A total of twenty seven fertilizer samples were randomly taken
representing triplicate samples from three urea and six superphosphate original fertilizer
bags. Each sample were digested and extracted using the ethylenediamine tetraacetic
acid (EDTA) extraction technique. The elemental analysis was performed using an
inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrophotometer (ICP-AES) (Optima 3000
– Perkin Elmer).
Results: The analyses indicated the presence of trace metals in commercially available
fertilizers sold in Nigeria. Cadmium was found in comparatively high concentrations. Zinc
was found present in relatively high concentrations in both urea and phosphate fertilizer
samples but As was found in low concentration. By comparison, the superphosphat
