Untreated Pharmaceutical Effluents on the Growth of Maize Zea Mays Plant

Abstract

Pharmaceutical effluents are wastes generated during the process of drug manufacturing by pharmaceutical industries. When these effluents are discharged directly into the environment without proper handling and treatment, they affect both human health and the environments. Growth Performances, heavy metal contents and nutritive values of Zea mays (maize) seeds harvested from the experimented sites were also determined using instrumentation and gravimetric techniques. There was significant (P<0.05) reduction in the growth performances (major percentage of germination and seed weights) in UPE polluted sites mostly in 100L/9m²site (59.74% and 50% reduction). There were increased in heavy metal (Arsenic, Cadmium, Cobalt, Nickel, Lead) and decrease in nutritive (proteins, carbohydrates, fats) values of Zea mays seeds harvested from UPE polluted sites, and these were significant (P<0.05) in 100L/9m² sites. Therefore, this study has shown that the growth performances and nutritional values Zea mays seeds were significantly reduced, but the heavy metal levels of the seeds increased in UPE polluted sites, mostly in 100L/9m² site.