ABSTRACT
Contamination of the environment by heavy metals has become a major concern in recent years (Arief et al., 2008; Zamboulis et al., 2011; Singh et al., 2012). Various industries produce and discharge wastewater containing heavy metals into the environment, posing a serious environmental threat to human health and the ecosystem (Wang and Chen, 2009; Gadd, 2009). Untreated wastewater from industries and homes eventually end up in rivers and other aquatic systems that are a source of livelihood for humans (Saad et al., 2011). Most of these rivers are used as source of drinking water by rural dwellers without any form of treatment, thus increasing the chances of suffering ill health (Ofori, 2010).
