Analyses of geophagic materials consumed by pregnant women in Embu, Meru and Chuka towns in eastern province, Kenya

dc.contributor.authorMwangi, Gichumbi J.
dc.contributor.authorOchieng, Ombaka
dc.contributor.authorMwangi, Gichumbi, J.
dc.contributor.authorOmbaka, Ochieng
dc.date.accessioned2020-10-27T12:30:06Z
dc.date.available2020-10-27T12:30:06Z
dc.date.issued2011
dc.description.abstractGeophagy is the deliberate consumption of soil and clay deposits by animals, including man. During pregnancy all the nourishment needed by the developing fetus comes from the mother, either the food she eats or the supplement she may take. The geochemical and mineralogical composition of the materials which are consumed by pregnant women from Meru, Embu and Chuka open air markets were studied. The geophagic materials were subjected to standard digestion procedures and analyzed for full assay and elemental analysis for Co, Zn, Mg, Cu, Pb and Cd using Atomic absorption spectrometry and Energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectrometry in 30 geophagic samples. The mineralogical composition was investigated using X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The geochemical analysis revealed that the geophagic materials contain high levels of silica from 48.59 to 60.27%. Geophagic materials from Embu showed the highest concentration of Pb at 0.96 ppm. The levels of Pb in all samples exceeded the levels recommended by WHO/FAO limits of 0.01 ppm. The levels obtained for Cd in all the samples did not exceed the WHO/FAO limits of 0.003 ppm. The XRD data showed that the geophagic materials of the area consisted mainly of silica.en_US
dc.identifier.citationJournal of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology (2011), 3(13), 340en_US
dc.identifier.issn2141-226X
dc.identifier.uriDOI: 10.5897/JECE11.055
dc.identifier.urihttp://repository.chuka.ac.ke/handle/chuka/4885
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.subjectGeophagyen_US
dc.subjectmineralogicalen_US
dc.subjectmineral nutrientsen_US
dc.subjectgeochemicalen_US
dc.titleAnalyses of geophagic materials consumed by pregnant women in Embu, Meru and Chuka towns in eastern province, Kenyaen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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