scholarly journals Heavy Metals Content in Kaolin Mined Soil and Water Body at Ohiya, Umuahia South, Abia State, Nigeria

2021 ◽  
pp. 58-68
Author(s):  
C. E. Igwe ◽  
C. M. U. Ajero ◽  
A. A. Amaechi ◽  
P. O.` Nzenwa

Heavy metals (HM) have been a global concern for its toxic and detrimental effect on the environment especially when it exceeds the permissible limit through anthropogenic activities like kaolin mining. Kaolin mining has improved the economic wellbeing of the local people through employment and otherwise; and at the same time attached with environmental consequences that threatens the livelihood of the community members. This study was carried out to ascertain the concentrations of selected heavy metals in kaolin mined soils and water body and its pollution density using single pollution indices such as contamination factor (CF), geo-accumulation (Igeo) and ecological risk factor (Er ). Soil sample were collected from three different kaolin mined sites labelled (A,B and C) also surface water samples were collected from upper and down streams of Iyi-ugbohoroAmaudara, both samples were digested and elemental analysis was carried out using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS UNICAM 919 model). The concentration of the metals in three different kaolin mined soil samples ranges from Pb(40.00, 52.00 and 55.09 mg/kg) Cr(45.01, 70.00 and 71.00 mg/kg) Ni( 32.10, 50.50 and 51.00 mg/kg) Cd( 2.16, 6.25 and 6.15 mg/kg) Co( 19.68, 57.06 and 56.00 mg/kg) Se(1.06, 0.50, and 1.00 mg/kg) Mn(0.001, 0.01 and 0.01 mg/kg) Hg( 2.01, 2.00 and 2.50 mg/kg) As( 1.07, 1.10 and 1.05 mg/kg) and Cu(33.01, 60.00 and 57.5 mg/kg). Results from single pollution indices used for the selected heavy metals from kaolin mined soil, samples (A,B and C) showed that Mn, As, Cr, Ni and Cu indicated low to moderate contamination factor while Cd, Se, Co and Hg indicated high to very high contamination factor in all the samples. The distribution trend of heavy metals concentrations in the upper and down streams of the river body during wet season, showed that there were significant difference between upper and down streams while dry season showed variations in significant differences between the upper and down streams of some of the heavy metals. The study therefore concludes that kaolin soils are contaminated with heavy metals as a result of kaolin deposit and its mining activities. The single pollution indices used for the study pointed out that Cd, Se, Co and Hg are very high in the kaolin soils. The surface waters of Iyi-ugbohoroAmaudara River at the study area are polluted with heavy metals as a result of kaolin mining activities in the area; more especially during wet season of the study. Consequently, these outcomes would pose a toxic effect to both fauna and flora and possibly threatens the aquatic lives and the local populace.

Author(s):  
Ayeku, P. Oluwagbemiga ◽  
Ogundele, L. Tunde ◽  
Adeniyi, I. Funsho

The present study was carried out to assess the pollution status of heavy metals in the marine sediment in Ondo coastal area. A total of 36 sediment samples were collected from the three locations (Awoye, Abereke and Ayetoro) once in a month in 2015 covering both dry and wet season. The sediment samples were subjected to digestion and Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) was used to measure the concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, V and Zn. The measured concentrations data were used for evaluating the contamination level and accumulation status of heavy metals in sediment by employing several pollution indices: contamination factor (CF), degree of contamination (Cdeg), pollution load index (PLI), enrichment factor (EF) and index of geoaccumulation (Igeo). The results showed that Fe had the highest average concentration values of 248.00§ 20.00 and 324.33§ 5.80 mg/kg at Awoye sampling site for wet and dry season, respectively while the highest mean concentration of Mn were 271.77±9.50 and 295±10.06 mg/kg at Abereke and Ayetoro, respectively. The contamination factor (CF) values for As, Cd and Mn were 1 < CF < 3, indicating a moderate contamination. The results of Cdeg were ranged from 8.6 to 12.5 for both dry and wet season except in Ayetoro site that had 7.8 in the wet season. The PLI values were 0.47, 0.50 and 0.54 (<1) for Abereke, Awoye and Ayetoro sites, respectively, denoting unpolluted conditions. The EF values for Pb and Ni obtained from all the sites ranged from 20.8 to 38.9, showing their significantly enriched in sediment. The Igeo values of As, Cr, Fe, V, Zn and Cu were less than one (Igeo <1) for the three sampling locations in both seasons, implying that the sediments in the study area are practically uncontaminated by these metals. Pb had the Igeo values of 2.80 and 2.85 during dry and wet season at Awoye sampling site while Ni had 2.57 at Abereke only in the dry season. The heavy metals in sediment might be derived from the upstream rivers from the top soil, mechanically weathered rock materials and anthropogenic activities.


Author(s):  
K. O. Ondoo ◽  
J. K. Kiptoo ◽  
A. O. Onditi ◽  
S. M. Shivaji ◽  
J. K. Ogilo

Agricultural activities, discharge of raw sewage into farms and the rise in urbanization have greatly contributed to soil pollution. During the rainy season, surface runoff from farms find their way into water bodies and deposits these contaminants into Rivers and Lakes which poses a threat to both aquatic and terrestrial organisms that depend on that water source. The objective of this research was to determine the level of anions and heavy metals from sediments in River Sio, Busia County, Kenya. Five sediment samples were taken from five sampling points and the levels of anions and heavy metals in them determined. Anions were determined using Shimadzu 1800 UV/visible spectrophotometer while heavy metals were determined using Shimadzu 6200 flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). Copper, lead and nickel were above the allowed WHO limits while cadmium was below detection limit. The levels of nitrates, phosphates and chlorides were higher during the wet season due to surface runoff that carried these nutrients from the farms and deposited them on the bottom of the River. The levels of heavy metals were high during the dry season due to evaporation of water from the River, leading to an increase in the analyte concentration during the dry season. High levels of copper and nickel in the sediments points to the use of herbicides and pesticides in farming and washing of vehicles and motorcycles on the banks of the River. According to Igeo nickel showed moderate pollution during the dry season. The contamination factor for lead was very high during the dry season, while pollution load index confirmed pollution due to anthropogenic activities in sampling sites 1 – 4 during the dry season and no pollution due to anthropogenic activities during the wet season.  The study recommends reduced use of inorganic fertilizers in order to save the River from the danger of eutrophication. Excessive use of agrochemicals such as herbicides and pesticides should be discouraged. In addition, pesticide leaching and the level of microbes in soil and sediments should be considered for further research


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Eneojo Godwin Ameh ◽  
Mofoloronsho Samuel Kolawole ◽  
Sunday Ojochogwu Idakwo ◽  
Caroline Ojone Ameh ◽  
Ebo GabrielImeokparia

Soil samples were collected randomly but uniformly distributed around Itakpe iron-ore mines in both dry and wet seasons. Surface soils were collected from 0cm to 10cm using stainless steel augers and located using Global Positioning System (GPS). Soil samples were air-dried, sieved through 500um mesh and 1.0g digested, evaporated and analysed using Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS).Five (5) geo-environmental indices were used to quantitatively evaluate the degree of soil contamination due to iron ore mining. The anthropogenic factor (AF) for both seasons revealed that all heavy metals have greater than 50% AF except for Cd in the dry season. The geo accumulation index (Igeo) for both seasons showed background concentration to unpolluted for Cu and Zn while Fe, Ni, Cdand Pb recorded moderately to very highly polluted. The pollution index (Eri), showed tiny hazard level for all the heavy metals in dry season and in wet season, Cd and Ni recorded strong hazard level while tiny hazard level were observed for Cu and Pb. The ecological pollution index for the area is strong (RI=323.25). Dry and wet season enrichment factor (EF) revealed background concentration for all the heavy metals except Fe with EF> 40 (extremely high enrichment). While contamination factor (CF) was very high for Fe in both seasons, Cu and Ni recorded considerable to very high contamination in dry season. The wet season also revealed considerable contamination for Ni and Cd; moderate to considerable contamination for Cu, Zn and Pb. The sites in both seasons have experienced various degrees of deterioration but more significant in wet season. Based on these indices, the soils around Itakpe iron-ore area has suffered significant degrees of contaminations with respect to Fe, Ni, Cd and Pb.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Nageeb Rashed ◽  
Mohamed ELSadeek Fouad Toufeek ◽  
Mahmoud Abedeldaium Eltaher ◽  
Ayman Outhman Elbadry

Electrical conductivity, pH, organic matter, carbonates and five heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu and Pb) were measured seasonally in the sediments of River Nile (Egypt) during 2015. Ten sectors include 30 sites were selected along River Nile from Aswan to Armant to assess the levels of the studied parameters. Heavy metals in sediments were in the order of Pb < Cu < Zn < Mn < Fe, which indicated that Pb was found to be the least concentration in sediments, whereas Fe was the most accumulated element. Pearson’s correlation coefficients among the measured parameters were tested. Zn, Cu and Pb were positively correlated with electrical conductivity and organic matter accumulation and also they were positively correlated with each other. Sediments pollution load was studied through pollution indices [geo-accumulation index, pollution load index, modified degree of contamination, contamination factor and enrichment factor]. The pollution indices confirmed that the River Nile sediments in the studied area were not contaminated with these heavy metals except for some samples collected from certain sites as a result of the anthropogenic activities at these sites.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-202
Author(s):  
Md. Abu Rayhan Khan ◽  
Mosummath Hosna Ara ◽  
Palash Kumar Dhar

Background: Contamination of soil with heavy metals is an alarming issue around the world. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the contamination status of heavy metals in the soil of Mongla industrial area, Bangladesh. Methods: Soil samples were randomly collected from 20 sites and digested by wet digestion method. The concentrations of heavy metals (Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The quality of soil was assessed based on the contamination factor (CF), geoaccumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor (EF), and ecological risk index factor (ERIF) analyses. Results: The average concentrations of Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb were obtained to be 258.08±51.61, 3736.90±322.17, 19.55±6.49, 66.76 ± 18.32, 0.59±0.13, and 10.40 ± 1.49 mg kg-1, respectively, which were below the permissible limit. The highest value of CF (0.74±0.16), Igeo (0.35±0.34), EF (24.86±6.27), and PERIF (22.11±4.81) was observed for Cd. The pollution of CF, Igeo, EF, and ERIF was classified as very severely polluted, unpolluted to moderately polluted, strongly to extremely polluted, and slightly polluted, respectively, with these heavy metals due to anthropogenic activities. One-way ANOVA indicated a significant difference between Zn and Cd concentrations (P<0.05), whereas Pearson correlation showed a positive correlation between Zn-Pb (P=0.01) and Fe-Zn (P=0.05). Conclusion: There are different classes of contamination with heavy metals in the study area. Therefore, necessary steps should be taken and people’s awareness of the soil pollution should be raised.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 58-66
Author(s):  
A. N. Ogbaran ◽  
◽  
I. E. Joseph-Akwara ◽  

This research was carried out to evaluate the impact of dumpsite and farming methods (anthropogenic Activities) on wetland soil qualities. Soil samples were collected from three strategic locations in Irri and Uzere communities at Delta State of Nigeria, and a reference station (control) about 5 km away from the study site. The sampling was done at the end of the rainy season (September, 2020), when the flood water had started rescinding, at two soil depths (5 to 10 cm and 45 to 50 cm). The concentration of iron, nickel, copper and cadmium concentration of the soil samples were determined with the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS), according to procedures approved by ASTM International. Results obtained from the chemical analysis revealed irregular concentration and distribution of the heavy metals within the studied area. Regardless of the sampling depth, the highest heavy metal concentrations were observed around the active dumpsite. Ranking order of the heavy metals’ concentrations in all the sampling locations was Fe ˃ Cu ˃ Ni ˃ Cd. It was observed from the results that the profile concentrations of the heavy metals increased with an increase in the soil depth. Using the contamination factor to assess the heavy metals contamination of the wetland, the results showed that the area ranged from moderate to considerable level of contamination, while pollution load index reveled that wetland soils were moderately polluted with the heavy metals. In terms of the soil pollution, the overall results revealed that area closed to the wastes dumpsite (site 1) was heavy polluted with the heavy metals


2020 ◽  
pp. 81-91
Author(s):  
E. A. Yerima ◽  
A. U. Itodo ◽  
R. Sha’Ato ◽  
R. A. Wuana

Environmental contamination is one of the serious challenge facing humanity and other life forms on our planet today. contamination occurs when contaminating substances exceeds their natural levels or when natural resources are use at a rate higher than nature’s capacity to restore itself. This study determines the levels of mineral element and potential toxic metals namely: P, K, Mg, Mn, Si, Fe, Zn, Cd, Pb and Al in agricultural soil around mechanic village Wukari-Nigeria. by means of MP-AES (4210 MP-AES Agilent technologies) while their pollution indices by means of geo-accumulation index and contamination factor. The results reveals that the mean ± standard deviation abundance of mineral and heavy metals in the soil was: Fe (20723.64±153.71), Al (3753.80±30.54) K (368.13±2.17), Mg (298.05±3.88), Mn (231.97±0.74), P (221.22±5.47), Zn (184.83±0.47), Pb (86.29±0.31), Si (64.27±0.43) and Cd (1.33±0.06). There was generally a significant difference between the concentration in the test and control sample (P < 0.05). While pollution indices show moderate to very high contamination of the soil by zinc, lead and cadmium signalling higher potential risk in terms of mobility on acidification since the organic content is moderate and soil texture being sandy-loam usually characterise with moderate capacity to immobilize heavy metals. Lead contamination can result in neurological and hematological dysfunctions, renal and hepatic damages as well as reproductive disorders in the humans while cadmium is known to have effect on kidney.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 109
Author(s):  
Eneojo Godwin Ameh ◽  
Ojochogwu Sunday Idakwo ◽  
Ojone Caroline Ameh ◽  
Omojo Mercy Lekdukum

The results of the analysis were subjected to five (5) indices: contamination factor (CF); Ecological risk factor (Eri); Enrichment factor (EF); index of geo-accumulation (Igeo) and anthropogenic factor (AF). The CF results showed that the River PomPom dry and wet season sediments were collected in February and July respectively from 0cm to 10cm depth. Stainless steel spoon was used to collect the samples. The sediment samples were packaged, labeled and refrigerated for onward transportation to the laboratory. All samples were oven-dried (50oC) for about 24 hours, sieved through -80 mesh. About 1.0g of each sample was digested, filtered and the filtrates were ready for heavy metal analysis using Atomic sediments were most contaminated with Fe in both seasons, least contaminated with Cd at dry season and Zn in wet season. The Eri factor revealed pollution hazard level of middle during wet season and tiny in dry season. Pb and Ni showed strong and middle hazard level during wet season and Cu revealed middle level during dry season. The enrichment factor indicated extremely enriched for Fe in all locations in both seasons while most heavy metals showed depletion to minimal enrichment. The Igeo for both seasons showed that Fe was moderately to highly polluted in all locations. During dry season, other heavy metals showed moderately to unpolluted while in wet season Cd, Ni and Pb indicated moderately to very highly polluted. In both seasons, the % AF was very high for Fe, Cu, Pb. The AF% was very high for Ni and Cd in wet season. All sites in both seasons have experienced deterioration but more in the wet season. From these indices, the stream sediments have been significantly contaminated with Fe, Ni, Pb and Ni in most locations in both seasons.


Author(s):  
J. O. Olayinka-Olagunju ◽  
A. M. Olatunji-Ojo ◽  
A. Adejuyigbe ◽  
H. A. Ikuesan ◽  
S. E. Abubakar

Aims: To investigate the heavy metal concentrations in soil samples collected from an open dumpsite in a rural community (Aba Idi-Mangoro) in Owo, Ondo State and to compare the observed values with the regulatory limits. This study also aimed to determine the pollution levels using tools like contamination factor, pollution load index and geoaccumulation index. Study Design: Field study design was use in this study. Place and Duration of Study: Soil samples were collected from Aba Idi-Mangoro in Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria between July 2015 and February 2016 to represent the wet and dry seasons. Methodology: A total of 96 soil samples were collected (6 samples on each visit and the site was visited twice a month). The samples were taken to the Prof. Julius Okojie Central Research Laboratory at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. In the laboratory, samples were air dried to remove the moisture. 2 g of the sampes were digested into HNO3, HCl, HF and HClO4, and AA Spectrophotometer was used to analyse the concentrations of the heavy metals. Results: Out of the 8 heavy metals assessed, 6 were above the regulatory limits. The order of heavy metal concentrations for the wet season is: Fe>Mn>Zn>Cu>Pb>Ni>Cr>Co>Cd and the dry season is as follows: Fe>Zn>Mn>Pb>Cu>Ni>Co>Cr>Cd. When the mean concentrations of the samples for the wet season were compared to the dry season, Mn (0.009), Cd (0.035), Cr (0.044) and Co (0.014) differ significantly (p<0.05). No significant difference was found in Fe, Co, Ni and Zn. It was observed from the overall results that the concentrations of heavy metals were higher during the dry season than in the wet season. The contamination factor (CF), pollution load index and geo-accumulation index values of Fe was extremely high in the two seasons while it varies at different collection times for the other metals. Conclusion: Due to the high presence of some of the heavy metals found in the soil, the study suggests that water and sediment samples from nearby river(s) within the community should also be examined.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-14
Author(s):  
A.I. Mohammed ◽  
A.A. Ahmed ◽  
J.U. Jibrin

Heavy metal pollution is a global issue of concern which results from both biogenic and anthropogenic activities. Hence, an investigation of soil pollution is pertinent because of its potential threat to human health. The present study examined the concentrations, contamination and pollution load index cum ecological risk factor for some heavy metals in soil samples collected from Borno Express (BOEXP), Tashan Kano (TASKP) and Tashan Bama (TASBP) motor parks within Maiduguri, Borno state of Nigeria. The data obtained showed mean concentration range of 0.34 - 1.18 mg/kg, 0.04 - 0.15 mg/kg, 0.07 - 0.41 and 0.18 - 0.29 mg/kg for Zn, Cr, Cd and Cu respectively. Nonetheless, lead was not detected in any and all samples analyzed. The increasing order of concentrations in the soils followed: Zn > Cu > Cr > Cd, Cu > Cd > Zn > Cr and Cd > Zn > Cu > Cr for BOEXP, TASKP and TASBP motor parks respectively. Notwithstanding, the results showed lower concentrations to the allowable limits of World Health Organization (WHO). Furthermore, the contamination factor of cadmium in the TASKP fell within the (0.10 – 0.25) category, indicative of slight contamination whereas in TASBP, the calculated value 0.5125 was within (0.51 -0.75) category implying severe contamination. The other heavy metals analyzed showed contamination factor as well as pollution index values < 0.1 indicative of very slight contamination.Keywords: Borno Express, Tashan Kano, Tashan Bama, Motor Parks, Contamination Index.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document