Analysis of metals and persistent organic pollutants in ethyl acetate extract of Peltophorum africanum

Okeleye, Benjamin Ifeoluwa; Ntwampe, Seteno K.O.; Okudoh, Vincent I.

Abstract

This study was aimed to analyze the metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) accumulated in the ethyl acetate extract (EAE) of Peltophorum africanum a medicinal plant commonly used in South Africa. Metal analysis revealed the presence of aluminum (Al) [17.2%], chlorine (Cl) [2.7%], sodium (Na) [5.7%], nitrogen (N) [1.3%], sulphur (S) [3.0 ], carbon (C) [6.5%], oxygen (O) [6.5%], titanium (Ti) [6.1%], silicon (Si) [17.2%], gold (Au) [15.9%], copper (Cu) [2.9%], zinc (Zn) [3.0%], and potassium (K) [4.3%]. The functional group of phosphorus-oxy (P=O); halogenated compounds (C-F, C-Cl), thiols and thio-substituted (C-S/C-I, S-S/ClCN) organic pollutants with the frequency wavelength range of 420.23–1287.62 cm-1 were identified. Colchicine, n-hexadecanoic acid, lanosta, nitroanthraquinone, stigmasterol, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, and ferrocene were also detected with percentage quantity of 0.4, 6.4, 2.9, 0.2, 1.6, 0.6 and 0.1% respectively. Some of the metals and POPs identified from the EAE of Peltophorum africanum in this study have been linked or associated with various human health risks.


Keyword(s)

Chemicals; Environmental impact; Human health; Medicinal plant; Metal contamination; Pollutants.

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