Research Article A Study of the Uptake of Heavy Metals by Plants near Metal-Scrap Dumpsite in Zaria, Nigeria Zakka Israila Yashim, 1 Omoniyi Kehinde Israel, 1 and Musa Hannatu 2 1 Department of Chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, PMB 1045, Samaru, Zaria, Nigeria 2 Department of Biological Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, PMB 1045, Samaru, Zaria, Nigeria Correspondence should be addressed to Zakka Israila Yashim; ziyashim@abu.edu.ng Received 22 May 2014; Accepted 18 July 2014; Published 12 August 2014 Academic Editor: Luqman Chuah Abdullah Copyright © 2014 Zakka Israila Yashim et al. Tis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Te research work investigates the metal uptake of the plants Lycopersicon esculentum (tomato), Rumex acetosa (sorrel), and Solanum melongena (garden egg) collected from experimental sites and a control area in Zaria, Nigeria. Te concentrations of Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, and Zn in diferent parts of each of the plant species grown on the experimental and control soils were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Te experimental levels of the metals were higher than those at the control site and the limits recommended by Food and Agricultural Organisation/World Health Organisation (FAO/WHO). Solanum melongena showed bioaccumulation factor (BF) and transfer factor (TF) greater than 1 for Cd, Pb, and Mn; Rumex acetosa showed BF and TF greater than 1 for Mn and Zn, and TF was greater than 1 for Cu and Fe; Lycopersicon esculentum had only the TF for Fe, Pb, Mn, and Zn greater than 1. Tis results implies that Solanum melongena and Rumex acetosa plants can be efectively used for phytoremediation of Cd, Pb, Mn, and Zn from the dumpsite. Pearson’s correlation coefcient values () were greater than 0.75 for all the metals studied which indicated that the high metal level in the experimental soil was a result of the metal-scrap. 1. Introduction Heavy metals constitute a group of metals and metalloids with atomic density greater than 4 g/cm 3 or 5 times or more greater than water [1]. Te toxicity of heavy metals is a problem of increasing signifcance for ecological, nutritional, and environmental reasons. It is evident that, among others, manufacturing activities involving the disposal of metal containing materials into the biosphere may soon trigger a silent epidemic of environmen- tal metal poisoning [2]. Toxic metals cannot be biodegraded. Tey have long half-life in the environment and biolog- ical system; hence, they pose an environmental problem [3, 4]. Despite the best attempts at waste avoidance, reduction, reuse, and recovery, landfll and disposal of metal still constitute a principal focus by environmental scientist. It has been observed that the larger the urban area, the lower the quality of the environment. So solid waste disposal and management have reached a critical stage in major towns and cities of Nigeria [5]. Environmental restoration of metal-polluted soils using a plant-based technology has attracted increasing interest in the last two decades. Phytoremediation has been developed as a cost efective and environmentally friendly remediation method of contaminated soils. It is an economically attractive approach to decontaminate soils polluted by heavy metals. Because of its relatively low costs, phytoremediation poses a viable approach to cleaning up soils [6–10]. Te use of plants to extract and translocate metals to their harvestable parts (phytoextraction) is aimed at reducing the concentration of metals in contaminated soils to regulatory levels within a rea- sonable time frame [11]. Some plant species have developed tolerance towards metals and others (hyperaccumulators) are characterised by their ability to accumulate high quantities of metals in their tissues [12]. Hyperaccumulators are plants that achieve a plant-to-soil metal-concentration ratio (bioaccu- mulation factor) and shoot-to-root metal-concentration ratio Hindawi Publishing Corporation Journal of Applied Chemistry Volume 2014, Article ID 394650, 5 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/394650