LEAD (Pb) CONTAMINATION OF FOODS SOLD AT STREETS AND MARKETS IN URBAN CENTRES: FINDINGS FROM MAJOR CITIES AND TOWNS ACROSS NIGERIA

Lead (Pb) is a heavy metal that has been in existence and predates the origin of man. It has found many social, cultural, scientific and technological applications among humans all through human civilizations to the present age. Pb is however found to be injurious to human health and its accumulation and undegradable nature in human body can lead to several metabolic and neurologic derangements causing several diseases and deaths across the globe. This systematic review paper looked at the sources of Pb poisoning among humans in Nigerian urban centers for the past 30 years (1992-2022) and offered appropriate measures that could control it. The study accessed 214 articles during the study period and found that at least 99% of the sources of Pb dissemination and accumulation in human body were due to anthropogenic sources gaining entries by ingestion of foods, water and otherdrinks; inhalation of street Pb loaded dusts and penetration of atmospheric Pb into both broken and unbroken skins and wounds. A substantial portion of raw, semi-processed and processed foods sold on Nigerian markets were found to be contaminated with varying degrees of Pb and in some instances above the maximum allowable threshold for human consumption. The general level of awareness on the depth of danger posed by this heavy metal from day-to-day human activity and interactions was perceived to be low. There should therefore be more public awareness about the dangers and sources of Pb accumulation in human body, and healthcare systems should be upgraded to adequately monitor Pb contents of the environment which includes soils, biota (flora and fauna), water and air regularly. Also, strict measures aimed at reducing human activities capable of spreading Pb in the environments should be established and enforced for strict compliance. And food inspectors should be adequately empowered to routinely inspect foods, fish and meat in Nigerian markets to confiscate such that are heavily loaded with Pb and unsuitable for human consumption for destruction.