QUANTIFICATION OF POLLUTION LEVELS ASSOCIATED WITH HEAVY METALS IN SHANONO AND BAGWAI ARTISANAL GOLD MINES, KANO STATE, NIGERIA
Abstract
Quantification of heavy metals pollution levels in an environment is a powerful tool for converging raw heavy metals concentrations to a comprehensive level that could easily be interpreted by decision makers, managers and the public. In this work, the heavy metals concentrations were obtained using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Element specific pollution was assessed by contamination, ecological risk, enrichment and geo-accumulation indices; Pollution load, average pollution, risk and Nemerow pollution load integrated indices were used to quantify the overall pollution level of the studied area. All the single indices computed indicated that both the soil, water and plants were polluted at different levels by all the studied heavy metals. Pollution load index, Risk index, Average pollution index and Nemerow pollution load index were estimated at 3.5, 232.0, 23.9,172.7 respectively for soils, 2.9, 964.8, 24.2, 173.1 respectively for water, 2.2, 1166.9, 14.9, 172.5 respectively for plants. These integrated indices classified the soil and water in the studied area as polluted and under strongly high ecological risk, which calls for immediate remediation measures to be implemented by appropriate authorities to at least minimize these levels
References
Adekoya, J.A. (2003). Environmental Effect of Solid Mineral Mining. International Journal of Physical Sciences Kenya. 1 (2): 625-640.
Adokoh, C.K., Obodai, E.A., Essumang, D.K., Serfor, A.Y, Nyarko, B.J. and Asabere, A.A. (2011). Statistical evaluation of environmental contamination, distribution and source assessment of heavy metals (aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury) in some lagoons and an estuary along the coastal belt of Ghana. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.61:389-400.
Alia, N., Sardar, K., Said, M., Salma, K., Sadia, A., Sadaf, S., Toqeer, A. and Miklas, S. (2015). Toxicity and Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in Spinach (Spinacia Oleracea) grown in a controlled environment. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 12 (7): 7400-7416.
Bello, S., Zakari, Y.I., Ibeanu, I.G.E and Muhammad, B.G (2015). Evaluation of heavy metal pollution in soils of Dana steel limited dumpsite, Katsina state Nigeria using pollution load and degree of contamination indices. American journal of engineering research. 4(12):161-169.
Bhuiyan, M.A.H., Islam, M.A., Dampare, S.B., Parvez, L. and Suzuki, S. (2010). Evaluation of hazardous metal pollution in irrigation and drinking water systems in the vicinity of a coal mine area of northwestern Bangladesh. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 179:1065-1077.
Cadar, O., Miclean, M., Cadar, S., Tanaselia, C., Senila, L. and Senila, M. (2015). Assessment of heavy metals in cow’s milk in Rodnei mountains area, Romania. Environmental Engineering and Management Journal. 14(11): 2523-2528.
Cairo, S., Costa, M.H. and Ramos, T.B. (2005). Assessing heavy metal contamination in Sado Estuary sediment; an index analysis approach. Ecological Indicators. 5:151–169.
Chandrasekaran, A., Mukesh, M.V. and Chidambaram,S. (2015). Assessment of heavy metal distribution pattern in the sediments of Tamirabarani river and estuary, east coast of Tamil Nadu, India. Environmental and Earth Science. 73:2441-2452.
Duruibe, J.O., Ogwuegbu, M.O.C. and Egwurugwu, J.N. (2007). Heavy metal pollution and human biotoxic effects. International Journal of Physical Sciences. 2(5):112-118.
Edet, A.E. and Offiong, O.E. (2002). Evaluation of water quality pollution indices for heavy metal contamination monitoring. A study case from Akpabuyo-Odukpani area, Lower cross river basin (South eastern Nigeria). GeoJournal. 57: 295-304.
El Hamiani O., Khalil H., Lounate K., Sirguey C., Hafidi M., Bitton G., Schwartz C. and Boularbah A. (2010). Toxicity assessment of garden soils in the vicinity of mining areas in Southern Morocco. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 177 (1-3): 755-761
Farkas, A., Erratico, C. and Vigano, L. (2007). Assessment of the environmental significance of heavy metal pollution in surficial sediment of the river. Chemosphere. 68: 761-768
Hakanson I., (1980). Ecological risk index for aquatic pollution control, a sedimentological Approach. Water resources, 14; 975-1001
Horton, R.K. (1965). An index number system for rating water quality. Journal of Water Pollution, Control, Federation. 37(3): 300-305.
Islam, M.S., Ahmed, M.K., Raknuzzaman, M., Habibullah, M. and Islam, M.K. (2015). Heavy metal pollution in surface water and sediment: A preliminary assessment of an urban river in a developing country. Ecological Indicators. 48:282-291.
Joung, H.M., Miller, W.W, Mahammah, C.N. and Gultjens, J.C.A. (1979).Journal of the Environmental Quality. 1979, 8, 95.
Kabata-Pendias, A. (2011). Trace Elements in Soils and Plants, CRC Press Inc., Boca Raton, Florida. 505 p.
Lokeshwari, H. and Chandrappa, G.T. (2006). Heavy metals content in water; hyacinth water and sediments of Lalbagh Tank, Bangalore, India. Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering. 48(3):183–188
Ma, X, Hang, Z. and Tian, M. (2016). Assessment of heavy metals contamination in sediments from three adjacent regions of the Yellow River using metal chemical fractions and multivariate analysis techniques. Chemosphere. 144:264-272.
Mohan, S.V., Nithila, P. and Jayarama, S. R. (1996). Assessment of heavy metals in drinking water and development of heavy metal pollution index. Journal of Environmental Science and Health. 31(2):283-289.
Muntean, E., Muntean, N. and Duda, M. (2013). heavy metal contamination of soil in Copsa Mica area. ProEnvironment. 6:469-473.
Nan, Y., Liu, W. and Xie, H. (2015). Distribution and assessment of heavy metals in the surface sediment of Yellow River, China. Journal of Environmental Science –China. 39:453-459.
Navarro, M., Pérez-Sirvent, C., Martinez-Sanchez, M., Vidal, J., Tovar, P. and Bech J. (2008). Abandoned mine sites as a source of contamination by heavy metals: a case study in a semi-arid zone. Journal of Geochemical Exploration. 96: 183–193
Nriagu, J. (1990). Global metal pollution: poisoning the biosphere? Environment. 32 (7): 2833.
Oota, A. (2011), “Nigeria: Lead Poisoning killed 400 Babies in Zamfara”. Available at: http://www.allafrica.com/stories/printable. Assessed on February 12, 2011.
Pekey, H. (2006). The distribution and sources of heavy metals in Izmit Bay surface sediments affected by a polluted stream. Marine Pollution Bulletin.52:1197-1208.
Prasad, B. and Bose, J. (2001). Evaluation of the heavy metal pollution index for surface and spring water near a limestone mining area of the lower Himalayas. Environmental Geology. 41(1-2):183-188.
Qingjie, G. and Jun, D. (2008). Calculating pollution indices by heavy metals in ecological geochemistry assessment; a case study in parks of Beijing. Journal of China University of Geosciences. 19(3): 23–41
Copyright (c) 2023 FUDMA JOURNAL OF SCIENCES
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
FUDMA Journal of Sciences
