Seasonal Variation in Heavy Metal Concentration in Telfairia Occidentalis Leaves in Ibeno Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State

The concentrations of heavy metals in the Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria were examined. This study employed an experimental design methodology. In December 2024 and June 2025, fifteen composite samples of Telfairia occidentalis leaves were collected. The leaf samples underwent washing with de-ionized water, were dried to a constant weight in an oven at 105 °C, and then pulverized to achieve a 2 mm mesh size for subsequent analysis. The ground leaves were digested using 1.0 cm3 of concentrated HClO4, 5 cm3 of concentrated HNO3, and 0.5 cm3 of concentrated H2SO4 in a 50 cm3 Kjeldahl flask. The concentration of heavy metals was determined using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. The data were analyzed based on the first-order kinetic model InC = InCo - kt. The concentrations of heavy metals (mg kg-1) during the dry season were: Mn (7.73 ± 3.06), Fe (5.93 ± 1.28), V (0.16 ± 0.26), Cd (0.21 ± 0.16), Ni (0.02 ± 0.01), while during the wet season, they were: Mn (7.75 ± 3.76), Fe (5.96 ± 4.07), V (0.21 ± 0.09), Cd (0.19 ± 0.06), Ni (0.03 ± 0.06). The results indicated that the concentrations of heavy metals varied between the wet and dry seasons. The mean concentrations of certain heavy metals (Ni, V, Pb, Zn, and Co) in the leaves of Telfairia occidentalis fell within the acceptable range of WHO standards for vegetables and food products, with the exception of Cd, Fe, and Mn. In conclusion, Telfairia occidentalis can serve as a resident indigenous plant bioindicator for monitoring anthropogenic influences of V, Pb, Mn, and Zn in the soil of the study area.