Annals. Food Science and Technology 2017 Available on-line at www.afst.valahia.ro 226 Volume 18, Issue 2, 2017 REMEDIATION OF LEAD AND ZINC POLLUTED SOIL USING ARACHIS HYPOGAEA AND GLYCINE MAX L Oyeleke Solomon Bankole 1 , Oyewole Oluwafemi Adebayo 1 , Adelere Isiaka Adedayo 1 ,Shaba A.Mohammed 2 , Abu Saadat Eleojo. 1 , Salahudeen Adam Olajide 1 1 Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria 2 Department of Biological Sciences, Niger State Polytechnic Zungeru, Niger State, Nigeria * E-mail:oa.oyewole@futminna .edu.ng Abstract Remediation of lead and zinc polluted soil using Arachis hypogaea and Glycinemax. L was investigated in this study. Lead and zinc were added into soil as Pb(NO 3 ) 2 and (ZnSO 4 ). Five viable seeds were planted in 30 bowls containing 5kg of soil. The concentrations of lead used were 50 mg and 250 mg while 300mg and 700mg of zinc was used. The presence of lead and zinc in A. hypogaea and G. max. L seeds was determined using AASafter 0, 4, 8 and 12 weeks, 27.47 mg and 201.49 mg of lead were obtained in A. hypogaea at week 4 when 50 mg and 250 mg of leadwas treated with the soil. At week 8, A. hypogaea had lead concentration of 201.02 mg when soil was treated with 250 mg of lead. The highest concentration of zinc (402.42 mg) was recorded in A. hypogaea when soil was treated with 700 mg of zinc and lowest concentration (141.25 mg) was obtained at week 8. The leaf of A. hypogaea had least concentration (0.15 mg) of lead out of all the treatments. The highest concentration of zinc (4.05 mg) was found in leaf of G. max L when the soil was treated with 700 mg of zinc while the least concentration (1.10 mg) was found in seeds when the soil was treated with 300 mg. The results of this study revealed that A. hypogaea and G. max. L were able to uptake various concentrations of lead and zinc. Keywords: Arachis hypogaea, Glycine max. L, remediation, biosorption, zinc, lead Submitted: 15.02.2017 Reviewed: 22.05.2017 Accepted: 02.06.2017 1. INTRODUCTION Heavy metals in the soil include some significant metals of biological toxicity such as mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr) and arsenic (As). They also include other heavy metals of certain biological toxicity, such as Zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), stannum (Sn) and vanadium (V). In recent years, with the development of the global economy, both type and content of heavy metals in the soil caused by human activities have gradually increased, resulting in the deterioration of the environment (Han and Banin, 2002; Sayyed and Sayadi, 2011; Raju et al., 2013; Prajapati and Meravi, 2014; Sayadi and Rezae, 2014; Zojaji et al., 2014). Contamination of soil by heavy metals occurs as a result of different anthropogenic activities, such as mining, irrigation with waste water, disposal of solid wastes including sewage sludge, application of metal containing pesticides and the use of fertilizers. However, the degree of concentration depends on the type of heavy metals and the activities taking place in a particular area (Ayodele and Abubakkar, 2010; Ibeto and Okoye, 2010). Toxicities of heavy metals can range from severe illness to death of both plants and animals (Paudyal et al., 2007; Waniet al., 2008; Khan et al 2008), leading consequently to losses in soil fertility. As a result of the direct or indirect metal effect, the health of plants including legumes like soya beans and groundnut growing in metal enriched soil is adversely affected due to nutrient deficiency or due to direct effects of toxicants. For instance, higher concentrations of metals have shown toxicity to various physiological processes like synthesis of chlorophyll pigments in various plants including legumes, inactivated protein synthesis and consequently led to severe reduction in crop yields (Wani et al., 2008). Phytoremediation often referred as botanical bioremediation or green remediation is defined as the use of plants to remove pollutants from