Journal: Environmental Contaminants Reviews (ECR)
Author: Ulakpa Ruth Oghenerukevwe Eyankware, Perekibina Bariweni, Felix Eze, Seifeigha Lorretta

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

Doi:10.26480/ecr.02.2023.89.99

ABSTRACT

In order to assess the levels of heavy metals and health concerns associated with the operations of illicit refineries in water, 15 surface water samples were taken from Okerenkoko, Peterou-Gbene, and Bille in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. A number of heavy metal indices, including the Contamination Factor (Cf), Pollution Load Index (PLI), Modified Degree of Contamination (mCd), Ecological Risk Factor (Erf), and Geo Accumulation Index (Igeo), were successfully applied in the evaluation of heavy metal contamination in surface water using World Health Organization WHO (2011) and Nigerian Standard for Water Quality NSDWQ (2007) standards. Additional research from WHO and NSDWQ comparisons revealed that the majority of the investigated heavy metals were higher than permissble limits in comparison to the control site. Although the concentration of heavy metals in the aquatic habitats varies amongst the various communities in the area, according to the CV. Additionally, CV contends that there is a connection between the illicit refiners’ actions at the study site and the water chemistry changes that result in surface water contamination. According to data from the WHO and the NSDWQ, the majority of heavy metal concentration readings in the study sites exceeded the acceptable limits when compared to those in the control site. According to the results of heavy metals indices such as Cf and PLI, the surface water in the analyzed site ranges from very slightly contaminated to extremely contaminated. However, Erf and Igeo findings showed that human activities through illegal refiners increase heavy metal concentration, which results in a very high potential ecological risk associated with surface water. Additional mCd results demonstrated that in the studied sites, the surface water has a high degree of contamination. The findings suggest that surface water assessment is required to warn against a decline in water quality in the area.

KEYWORDS
Heavy Metal, Illegal Refineries, Water Pollution, Health Risk