Concentrations of Heavy Metals in Farmland Soils from selected Oil Bearing Communities in Gokana, Rivers State, Nigeria

International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume VII, Issue V, May 2020 | ISSN 2321–2705

Concentrations of Heavy Metals in Farmland Soils from selected Oil Bearing Communities in Gokana, Rivers State, Nigeria

Sor, A.L, Edori, O. S., Nwineewii, J. D.
Department of Chemistry, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuolumeni, P.M. B. 5047 Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract: – Human intervention into the natural environment in order to better humanity has both negative Local Government Area of the Rivers State. The communities where the samples were collected were Yeghe, Bodo, B-Dere and K-Dere. The samples were subjected to laboratory treatment and and positive components. Soil samples were collected from selected farmlands from Gokana finally analyzed for heavy metals concentrations in both soil and the cassava parts. The result showed that the mean concentrations of the heavy metals in the soil from the communities were; 1.501±0.142, 2.685±0.382, 4.185±0.740, 4.021±0.540, 174.914±28.497 and 3.809±0.596 mg/Kg for cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr) copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni) respectively. The order of concentrations of the heavy metals in the soil was, Fe > Cr > Cu > Ni >Pb> Cd. Analysis of the pollution levels of the soils from the farmlands using some pollution indices indicated that contamination factor analysis showed that the soils were all severely polluted with Cd, but were uncontaminated with all the other metals. Pollution index revealed that all the soils fall within the range of slight contamination, contamination degree and modified contamination degree assessment indicated that the soils were uncontaminated with the metals.

Keywords: Heavy metals, soil, contamination, pollution index, contamination degree, modified contamination degree.

I. INTRODUCTION

Exploration and exploitation procedures have created considerable wastes. Discharging of onshore and offshore oil and gas wells can have negative environmental and social impacts if not properly managed, including land use impacts, soil and groundwater contamination, and erosion (Nwanyanwu et al., 2015).Humanoid activities have produced a considerable upsurge in the discharge of heavy metals into soils (Salim and Spark, 2001;Haung et al., 2002). The cumulative concentration of heavy metals present in the soil is frequently used to point to the amount of contamination or pollution by heavy metals.
Apart from activities emanating from natural causes, virtually all anthropogenic activities possess the capacity to influence in the production of heavy metals within the environment. Although, the event of production of heavy metals from these activities may have resulted as byproducts of most human activities, yet they contribute immensely to the total input or output of heavy metals burden of an environment.

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