Content of Copper in Maize and Soil Collected from Selected Agricultural Areas in Kaduna, Nigeria

This study was conducted to determine the content of maize in soil so as to evaluate its mobility, bioavailability and eco-toxicity. The copper content of maize and soil samples was determined using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (FAAS). The soil samples related to the maize were digested and extracted using different digestion and extraction reagents. The results indicated that the soil samples collected from various locations contain varying amounts of Cu and was distributed between Residual, Oxide and Carbonate/Organic fractions. The result of the study also showed that, in some of the sampling locations, the Cu content in the soil was above the tolerance limit of 100 mg/kg and the ANOVA (p = 0.000<0.05) indicated a significant difference in both the copper concentrations across the various maize crops and maize grown soils.