Assessment of persistent organic pollutants in soil and water of kara bisichi, barkin ladi lga of Plateau state, Nigeria

Abstract

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are organic compound that remain intact for exceptionally long periods of time in the environment as they resist photolytic, chemical and biological degradation. Environmental impacts from POPs continue to generate global concern and attract attention especially in urban centers, Some POPs compounds which are toxic, mutagenic, or carcinogenic and can bio-accumulate by aquatic organisms, plants and human from polluted water and soil. The study aims to identify and quantify the presence of POPs in soil and water of Kara Bisichi of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria. Soils and water sample were randomly collected at five points within the study area. The pesticide residual levels of the POPs were determined using Gas chromatography- electron capture detector (GC/ECD). The soil samples of both the treated and control had concentrations range of :aldrin (0.008-0.054mg/kg), dieldrin (0.004-0.012mg/kg), heptachlor epoxide (0.009-0.013 mg/kg), paraquat (ND – 0.014 mg/kg), dichlorvos (0.008-0.010 mg/kg), sulprofos (0.002-mg/kg), endosulfan II (ND – 0.0104 mg/kg), all falls within the USEPA and UK MRL standard value of 0.02mg/kg and 0.01mg/kg, except for glyposate (0.0189-0.656mg/kg), dimethoate(0.0132-0.049mg/kg), chlorpyrifos (ND-0.209mg/kg) and cypermathrin (ND-0.176mg/kg) which falls above. And for the water sample had the concentration of: aldrin (0.013mg/l), dieldrin (0.003mg/l), Paraquat (0.010mg/l), dichlorvous (0.077mg/l), glyphosate (0.004mg/l), sulprofos (0.173mg/l). Dimethoate (0.035mg/l), propyzamine (0.712mg/l), atrazine (0.568mg/l), heptachlor epoxide (0.077mg/l), chlorpyrifors (0.173mg/l), p,p–DDT (0.010mg/l) and (0.021mg/l), which all falls within the USEPA, WHO, Australia, Canadian and EU standard value for pesticides in water respectively except for Heptachlor epoxide and chlorpyrifos whose values (0.774mg/l and 0.173mg/l) were above the MRL set by WHO/Australian as (0.03mg/l and 0.05mg/l).