Evaluation of Phytoremediation Potential of Selected Horticultural Crops for Lead-Contaminated Soils in Industrial Areas of Kaduna State

Lead contamination of agricultural soils in the vicinity of industrial areas poses serious threats to horticultural food safety and environmental health in North West Nigeria. Kaduna State hosts several industrial zones with documented heavy metal pollution, yet sustainable and cost-effective soil remediation strategies for agricultural land recovery have not been widely evaluated. This study assesses the phytoremediation potential of five horticultural crops, sunflower (Helianthus annuus), vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides), jute mallow (Corchorus olitorius), Indian mustard (Brassica juncea), and kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus), for extracting lead from contaminated soils in Kaduna State. Pot experiments were conducted under greenhouse conditions using lead-spiked soils at three contamination levels (100, 500, and 1000 mg/kg). Bioconcentration factor, translocation factor, and total lead uptake were computed for each species. Results indicate that sunflower and Indian mustard showed the highest bioconcentration factors and translocation efficiencies, qualifying them as lead hyperaccumulators under the study conditions. Jute mallow performed well at moderate contamination levels. The study recommends sequential phytoremediation programs using sunflower and Indian mustard for lead-contaminated horticultural lands in Kaduna State industrial corridors, followed by soil quality verification before food crop reintroduction. Keywords: phytoremediation, lead contamination, horticultural crops, Kaduna State, heavy metals