Vegetables contributes essential nutrients to diets especially when in short supply but some planted along river banks may be found to be toxic due to human and industrial pollution of water and soil. This study determines the Lead level of the Control samples, Soil, ‘Gbure’, (Water leaf, Talinium triangulae) and ‘Efo abalaye’, (Spinach oleracea) shoot and root grown in Sokori and Lafenwa river banks. Samples were collected randomly, wet digested and lead level determined using Buck Scientific Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer and the data subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS version 17.0. The moisture content ranged from 52.34±0.05% in Spinach control shoot sample of Lafenwa to 88.06±0.03% in Water leaf root sample of Sokori. The Pb level in soil ranged from 260±3 mg/Kg in Spinach planted soil to 300±4 mg/Kg in Water leaf planted soil; it also ranged from 152±2 mg/Kg in Spinach control shoot sample of Sokori to 402±5 mg/Kg in Spinach total Pb level obtained from Sokori. This shows that the Pb level in both vegetables were above the 5 mg/Kg permissible limit set by FAO and WHO, and also the level is above the critical concentration of Pb in plants (300 mg/Kg). Regular consumption of these vegetables could pose health hazard and risk so vegetables should not be cultivated near river banks and also industrial wastes should be treated before discharge into the environment.
