Assessment of heavy metal contamination in fish, fruits, and vegetables in Southwest Nigeria: A systematic review [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]

Background The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the prevalence of heavy metal contamination in fish, fruits, and vegetables in Southwest Nigeria. The review focused on studies published over a ten-year period, between 2014 and 2024. Methods Articles used for the study were obtained b...

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Main Authors: Tolulope Ogunnusi, Oghenerobor Akpor, Peter Olagbemide, Babafemi Laoye
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: F1000 Research Ltd 2025-01-01
Series:F1000Research
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Online Access:https://f1000research.com/articles/13-1430/v2
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author Tolulope Ogunnusi
Oghenerobor Akpor
Peter Olagbemide
Babafemi Laoye
author_facet Tolulope Ogunnusi
Oghenerobor Akpor
Peter Olagbemide
Babafemi Laoye
author_sort Tolulope Ogunnusi
collection DOAJ
description Background The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the prevalence of heavy metal contamination in fish, fruits, and vegetables in Southwest Nigeria. The review focused on studies published over a ten-year period, between 2014 and 2024. Methods Articles used for the study were obtained by conducting a comprehensive literature search using several databases, including ResearchGate, Scopus, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and PubMed using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). To identify relevant studies, a plethora of keywords were utilized to search for articles in the selected databases, including. Articles reporting heavy metal contamination in specified food products within the last decade were included. Results Of the 10,212 initially identified articles, 64 met the inclusion criteria after thorough screening. The selected studies were predominantly conducted in Lagos (30), Ondo (8), and Ogun (7) states, with few studies in Oyo, Ekiti, and Osun states. The majority of the research focused on fish (40 studies), followed by vegetables (20) and fruits (4). The commonly studied fish species were observed to be Tilapia zilli, Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus, Clarias gariepinus, and Oreochromis niloticus, with heavy metal concentrations frequently exceeded WHO limits. Conclusions Therefore, this review highlights the significant risks posed by the presence of heavy metals in food products and underscores the importance of stringent environmental monitoring and the adoption of appropriate regulatory mechanisms for health and environmental risk mitigation. This could help in the formulation of appropriate policy implementation strategies geared towards mitigating heavy metal contamination in the region’s food supply.
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spelling doaj-art-283fc18fef5449b7983d421addbbd1242025-08-24T01:00:02ZengF1000 Research LtdF1000Research2046-14022025-01-011310.12688/f1000research.157781.2177164Assessment of heavy metal contamination in fish, fruits, and vegetables in Southwest Nigeria: A systematic review [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]Tolulope Ogunnusi0Oghenerobor Akpor1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4256-1549Peter Olagbemide2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4127-8132Babafemi Laoye3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0903-754XBiological Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti, NigeriaBiological Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti, NigeriaBiological Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti, NigeriaBiological Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti, NigeriaBackground The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the prevalence of heavy metal contamination in fish, fruits, and vegetables in Southwest Nigeria. The review focused on studies published over a ten-year period, between 2014 and 2024. Methods Articles used for the study were obtained by conducting a comprehensive literature search using several databases, including ResearchGate, Scopus, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and PubMed using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). To identify relevant studies, a plethora of keywords were utilized to search for articles in the selected databases, including. Articles reporting heavy metal contamination in specified food products within the last decade were included. Results Of the 10,212 initially identified articles, 64 met the inclusion criteria after thorough screening. The selected studies were predominantly conducted in Lagos (30), Ondo (8), and Ogun (7) states, with few studies in Oyo, Ekiti, and Osun states. The majority of the research focused on fish (40 studies), followed by vegetables (20) and fruits (4). The commonly studied fish species were observed to be Tilapia zilli, Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus, Clarias gariepinus, and Oreochromis niloticus, with heavy metal concentrations frequently exceeded WHO limits. Conclusions Therefore, this review highlights the significant risks posed by the presence of heavy metals in food products and underscores the importance of stringent environmental monitoring and the adoption of appropriate regulatory mechanisms for health and environmental risk mitigation. This could help in the formulation of appropriate policy implementation strategies geared towards mitigating heavy metal contamination in the region’s food supply.https://f1000research.com/articles/13-1430/v2Toxic metals public health risk food safety PRISMA Health risk assessmenteng
spellingShingle Tolulope Ogunnusi
Oghenerobor Akpor
Peter Olagbemide
Babafemi Laoye
Assessment of heavy metal contamination in fish, fruits, and vegetables in Southwest Nigeria: A systematic review [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]
F1000Research
Toxic metals
public health risk
food safety
PRISMA
Health risk assessment
eng
title Assessment of heavy metal contamination in fish, fruits, and vegetables in Southwest Nigeria: A systematic review [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]
title_full Assessment of heavy metal contamination in fish, fruits, and vegetables in Southwest Nigeria: A systematic review [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]
title_fullStr Assessment of heavy metal contamination in fish, fruits, and vegetables in Southwest Nigeria: A systematic review [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]
title_full_unstemmed Assessment of heavy metal contamination in fish, fruits, and vegetables in Southwest Nigeria: A systematic review [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]
title_short Assessment of heavy metal contamination in fish, fruits, and vegetables in Southwest Nigeria: A systematic review [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]
title_sort assessment of heavy metal contamination in fish fruits and vegetables in southwest nigeria a systematic review version 2 peer review 2 approved
topic Toxic metals
public health risk
food safety
PRISMA
Health risk assessment
eng
url https://f1000research.com/articles/13-1430/v2
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