Atomic Absorption Spectrometric Determination of Some Heavy Metals from the Leaves of Moringa stenopetala Grown in Gamo Gofa Zone, Ethiopia

The plant Moringa (Moringa stenopetala), eaten as a vegetable, is a deciduous plant cultivated in the southern part of Ethiopia. It is indigenous to Ethiopia, distributed in the lowland ecology of the country. The present study was conducted with the objective of analyzing some trace metallic contents (Fe, Cr, Pb and Cu) in the leaves of Moringa plant and to identify their levels. The work was investigated based on samples collected from Arba Minch area, Gamo Gofa administrative zone. Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) was used to analyze the mentioned trace metals in this plant. The results showed: Fe, 1.18 mg/kg; Cr, 0.44 mg/kg; Cu, 0.67 mg/kg; Pb, 0.63 mg/kg. Thus, out of the four analyzed trace metals, Fe was found in larger amount compared to others and Cr was the smallest.