Journal: Environmental Contaminants Reviews (ECR)
Author: Odokuma-Alonge Ovie, Akankali Otitodilichukwu Glory, Aladin Anthony Ese

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.02.2024.39.47

ABSTRACT

The research was carried out in the Iwofe Rumuolumeni region of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, to evaluate the presence and concentrations of heavy metal pollutants in the soil. Seven soil samples were gathered and subjected to analysis for various heavy metals, namely lead, cadmium, zinc, chromium, nickel, iron, and copper, utilizing an AAS machine. The objective was to examine the extent of contamination in soils near Iwofe Rumuolumeni in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. The outcomes revealed the presence of cadmium, zinc, nickel, iron, and copper, with respective range values of 0.05–5.94 mg/kg, 0.26–1.10 mg/kg, 0.74–2.23 mg/kg, 15.17–129.56 mg/kg, and 0–5.09 mg/kg. Notably, soil samples IWF 3 and 5 exhibited elevated cadmium concentrations at 1.10 mg/kg and 5.94 mg/kg, respectively. The proximity of IWF 3 to an oil terminal and IWF 5 to an abandoned cement factory likely contributed to the high cadmium levels. The study suggests a potential cadmium pollution issue, as the mean concentration exceeds the World Health Organization’s target values, indicating significant pollution originating from local industrial activities. The predominant distribution pattern of heavy metals found in the study is iron > cadmium > nickel > copper > zinc. The findings emphasize the necessity for a more comprehensive trace element analysis in the area. The Contamination Factor (CF) and Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo) indicate moderate to heavy contamination, particularly for cadmium and zinc. These results highlight potential adverse effects on agricultural productivity and local livelihoods, underscoring the importance of implementing mitigation measures and conducting detailed trace element analyses.

KEYWORDS
Heavy metals, Soil analysis, Contamination, Target values, Pollution