Investigation of Chemical Fraction of Nickel in Maize and Soil Using the Cold Extraction Technique

An investigation of chemical fraction of Nickel in maize and soil samples was conducted. The objective of the study was to determine the concentration of Nickel in maize and soil samples by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (FAAS) using Cold Extraction Technique. The results indicated that the soil samples collected from various locations contain varying amounts of Nickel and were distributed between residual, oxide, Fe and Mn oxide and carbonate/organically bound phases. The result of the study also showed that in some of the sampling locations, the Nickel concentration is above the tolerance limit value of 50 mg/kg and the ANOVA (p = 0.000<0.05) indicated a significant difference in the nickel concentrations across the various maize crops. Similarly, the ANOVA (p = 0.000<0.05) also showed a significant difference in the nickel concentrations across the various maize grown soils.