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dc.contributor.authorGachago, Peterson K
dc.date.accessioned2013-05-17T10:17:16Z
dc.date.available2013-05-17T10:17:16Z
dc.date.issued1991
dc.identifier.citationM.Sc Thesisen
dc.identifier.urihttp://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/23784
dc.descriptionMaster of Science Thesisen
dc.description.abstract
dc.description.abstractThe consumption of clay by pregnant women is not abnormal and has been in existence for a long time . The habit i s believed to be due to lack of enough iron in the body. However, while serving the good purpose of replacing body nutrients, excessive consumption of this clay may increase to toxic levels the content of some harmful trace elements in the body tissues. In this study, consumable clay samples obtained from Gikomba Market Nairobi ( GIK I and GIK II) and a shop from along Biashara street India) were analysed ( Hahti sample, for trace metal imported content using x-ray fluorescence from rats fed with Hahti technique . Similarly, tissues clay and control group were analysed. The results of the clay analysis showed the following elements to be present in all the clay samples: Iron (2 . 65 3 . 83) x 104 ug/g, Zinc (33 . 0 -133 . 7 ug/g ), Lead ( 5.5 -15.3 pg/g ) , Zirconium ( 54 . 8 - 1500 . 0 pgjg ) , Manganese ( 45 . 6 1310.0 )ug/g), Strontium (29.1 46 . 8pgjg ) , Gallium ( 8.5- 30.0 pg/g ), Yttrium (8 . 5 79 . 9 4 . 86 ) x 104 ug/g and thorium ug/g , Titanium ( 0.287 ( 3.5 - 26.7 pg/g). In addition , the Mahti sample had substantial amounts of vanadium , nickel , chromium and bromine while the Gikomba samples had calcium and rubidium. The rats were fed with food supplements of the Mahti sample for 37 days (phase 1), 74 days (phase 2) and 110 days (phase 3). After every phase, the following tissues were dissected: liver, spleen, kidney, heart, whole blood and brain. In the liver, levels of:iron (228.5 - 544.1 ug/g), nickel (0.74 - 1.83 pg/g), lead (0 2.8 pg/g), selenium (0.8 1.6 pg/g) and manganese (1.3 - 7.8 ug/g) increased progressively from phases 1 to 3. Similarly, levels of iron (655.4- 2272.8 ug/g), lead (1.9 - 2.5 pg/g) and manganese (3.4 -11.8 pg/g) increased in the spleen. Lead and manganese were also found to increase in the kidneys (phase 1 to 3) of the clay fed rats. In these tissues, there were significant differences between the clay fed and the controls which had lower values. A significant difference (p < 0.01) between the controls and clay fed rats was found in the liver (phase 1 and 3) and the spleen (phase 3). In the other organs including the heart, the brain and the blood, there was no major increase during the entire feeding period. The effect of mahti sample on growth rate was also assessed . The rats were weighed twice a week. During the period of the study , the clay fed rats increased weight by 77.5X ( phase 1), 160.5% (phase 2) and 204.0X ( phase 3) while the control group increased by 105.0% (XI) (phase 1), 190.1% (phase 2) and 231.5% (phase 3). The consumption of this clay may have led to the reduced growth in the clay fed rats.English
dc.description.sponsorshipUniversity of Nairobien
dc.language.isoenen
dc.titleHeavy metal analysis of consumable clays and tissue samples of clay fed rats by x-ray fluorescenceen
dc.typeThesisen
local.publisherFacult of Science, University of Nairobien
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