Assessing Levels of Heavy Metals in Broiler Chickens Reared in Crude Oil Exploration Areas of Delta State, Nigeria

Introduction: Heavy metals (HM) commonly contaminate water, food materials, and the environment in industrial and oil exploration areas, exposing humans and animals to health risks. The present study aimed to assess the levels of HM, such as Cadmium (Cd), Iron (Fe), Nickel (Ni), Vanadium (V), and Mercury (Hg), in the meat of broiler chickens raised in areas impacted by crude oil exploration in Delta State, Nigeria. Materials and methods: A total of 75 broiler chickens of mixed sex and breed were randomly selected from 15 intensively managed poultry farms. Three farms were chosen from each of the five zones, including Urhobo, Isoko, Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Ukwani, with five chickens selected from each farm. Blood samples were taken from the chickens for haematological and serum biochemical analysis. The concentration of heavy metals (ppm) in the breast meat of the broiler chickens was determined using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The findings were compared to the acceptable limits of international standards and the World Health Organization (WHO). Results: The present study's findings revealed that the HM concentration in broiler meat was significantly higher than the WHO's tolerable limits. No significant variations were recorded in Mercury concentration in the broiler chickens across all the zones. The Packed Cell Volume (PCV) for chicken from Ijaw zone was significantly higher (48.33), followed by chicken from Urhobo zone (44.78), both were significantly higher than the standard values for a normal healthy chicken, which ranged from 31.50 to 36.70, and the least PCV value was observed in Itsekiri zone (35.11) compared to other zones. Haemoglobin values were highest in the Isoko zone (16.96) and least in the Urhobo zone (12.25). The Red Blood Cell (RBC), Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH), and Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) values from all the groups in this study were significantly lower than the standard range of values for normal chickens, except for the MCH value of 34.60 in Isoko. Conclusion: Crude oil exploration activities significantly influenced the heavy metal concentration in broiler meat and certain haematological indices of chicken, and thus, chicken exposed to heavy metal contamination could be a risk factor for consumers.