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ABSTRACT
The concentration of zinc, chromium, cadmium, and manganese obtained from the dust particles obtained from money deposited in a commercial bank in Benin City was investigated. This was done to assess the potential toxicological exposure to these heavy metals to bank employees handling large volumes of cash deposits and also to the populace at large. Dust samples were collected from the cash room of a commercial bank in Benin City metropolis for a period of 2 months. The samples were subsequently digested using acid (HNO3 and HCLO4), and the concentrations of the heavy metals present were determined using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Results obtained showed the highest mean concentration of 246.67±2.36 mg/kg was obtained for zinc metal, while the lowest concentration was obtained for cadmium with a concentration of 1.67±0.24 mg/kg. Official limits for heavy metals allowable in dust in the Nigerian environment do not exist, however, permissible limits for heavy metals in soil have been established. As a result, this research utilized the allowable limits for metals in soils, which aligns with prior published studies on dust in the Nigerian environment. A comparison of the results with the permissible limits indicated that zinc and cadmium exceeded the permissible limit with a concentration of 246.67±2.36 mg/kg and 1.67±0.24 mg/kg respectively while chromium was below the permissible limit with a concentration of 54.67±11.33 mg/kg and manganese with a concentration of 126.67±16.50 mg/kg The concentration trend was observed to be Zn > Mn > Cr > Cd.
