Abstract
The aim of this study is to determine the impact of crude oil spillage on soil and harvested tuber crops (cocoyam and cassava) in Mogho Community. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene (BTEX) were investigated using Gas Chromatography – Flame Ionization Detector. Tuber crops and soils from crude oil impacted area of Mogho Community were used as the sample; while soil not impacted by crude oil were collected from Bori was used as the control. The results obtained for PAHs showed mean concentration of 0.035mg/kg for polluted soil; 0.001mg/kg for cassava, and 0.005mg/kg for cocoyam harvested from the polluted soil while the unpolluted soil (control) had a mean concentration of 0.002mg/kg. The mean concentration of BTEX for the samples was <0.001 which is below detection limit. The presence of PAHs in samples was found to be both low molecular weight and high molecular weight. The PAHs found in the polluted soil was higher compared to that of the unpolluted soil. The concentration of PAHs found in samples, exceeds the recommended permissible limit of WHO standard, which is (0.0001mg/kg). These results reveal that crude oil pollution is responsible for the presence of PAHs in soils and tuber crops like cassava and cocoyam which are frequently consumed in our localities. Government and oil companies should employ mitigating measures to deal with pipeline vandalization and oil spillage in this area.
Highlights
Crude oil is a naturally-occurring unrefined petroleum product composed of hydrocarbon deposits and other organic matter that when refined, produce other products like diesel, gasoline, heating oil, jet fuel, kerosene and literally other products called petrochemicals
It has been observed by several researchers that crude oil affects agricultural soil and this in turn affect the physiological, ecological and anatomical development of plants grown on such soils. (Anoliefo and Vwioko, 1995; Udo and Fayemi, 1975)
And Discussion The results for the determination of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and BTEX in soil and tuber crops are presented in Table 1-2 and Fig 1-2
Summary
Crude oil is a naturally-occurring unrefined petroleum product composed of hydrocarbon deposits and other organic matter that when refined, produce other products like diesel, gasoline, heating oil, jet fuel, kerosene and literally other products called petrochemicals. Oil pollution in agricultural soil in whatever form is toxic to the plant and soil microenvironment. Crude oil pollution on soil changes the physical and chemical properties of soil and its structure (Chi and Krishnamurthy, 1995). These compounds are largely responsible for altered fertility of soil. Affected soils lose their biological activity and many require up to ten years to recover it (Wyszkowska et al, 2001).One of the indices of loss of biological activity of soils as a result of crude oil pollution is the reduction or inhibition of microbial activity
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