Microbial and Heavy Metal Evaluation of Solutions of Ash Produced From Unripe Plantain Peels and Oil Palm Fruit Bunch Sold in Market Outlets within Afikpo South L.G.A. in Ebonyi State

Studies were carried out to evaluate the microbial and heavy metal levels in ash solutions of unripe plantain peel and palm fruit bunch samples sold in market outlets within Afikpo South L. G. A. in Ebonyi State, using standard biochemical procedures and instrumentation. The microbes investigated were isolated using nutrient and potato-dextro agar for the bacteria and fungi respectively. The pH of the ash sample solutions of the plants were determined using pH meter while the investigated metals were analyzed using spectrophotometric technique. The pH of the ash sample solutions of the unripe plantain peels and palm fruit bunch were, 11.29 and 12.73 respectively, thus provided an unhealthy environment for the micro organism to thrive. The coliform count of the isolated micro organisms (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococus aureus and Bacillius cereus) were far within the WHO recommended limit. The mean levels of the studied metals in the ash sample solution of the unripe plantain peels were, 43.17  5.32, 0.54  0.11, 22.05  1.60, 0.35  0.09, 8.82  0.52 and 35.91  17.14μg/g for Zn, Cd, Cu, Pb, Cr and Fe respectively while the mean levels of the studied metals in the ash sample solution of the palm fruit bunch were, 70.02  3.66, 0.78  0.40, 65.09  2.55, 0.62  0.18, 6.06  0.79 and 19.11  3.42μg/g for Zn, Cd, Cu, Pb, Cr and Fe respectively. Fe, Cu and Zn were found to be of higher values in the ash solutions of the two plant samples while Pb and Cd were of lesser values. Only Cd in the ash sample solutions of the two plants and Pb in the ash sample solution of palm fruit bunch were present at toxic levels. The mean levels of the studied metals in the ash sample solutions of the unripe plantain peels and palm fruit bunch differed significantly at p less than 0.05.