Abstract
The levels of heavy metals (Pd, Zn, Cr, Cd, Fe and Cu in mg/kg) in soils were assessed with respect to distance in different directions around an abandoned battery company in Ibadan, Western Nigeria by using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry method. The results generally show a decrease of lead (Pb) concentrations with increase in distance away from the company in all the four different directions (Northwest, Northeast, Southwest and Southeast). The other heavy metals assessed do not show any clear trend with distance away from the factory. The mean concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cr, Cd, Fe and Cu were 59.13±48.9 (range 5.00 - 182.00 mg/kg), 2.68±1.1 (range 0.4 - 5.2 mg/kg), 1.62±2.4 (range ND - 8.7 mg/kg), 0.08±0.09 (range ND - 0.24 mg/kg), 49.44±16.5 (range 12.5 - 70 mg/kg) and 4.94±2.6 mg/kg (range 0.5 - 10.5 mg/kg), respectively. The mean concentration of Pb was far above (four times higher than) the normal crustal average for soils while the other heavy metals were below the normal background level. The concentration of Pb is also the highest at the distance closest to the factory which indicate that Pb is the major heavy metal impacted on soils by the company which elevate the normal background level and thereby contaminate the soils and make it unfit for agricultural purposes as plant take up the leached metals and ultimately find its way into animals and human body through the food chain. Key words: Food chain, Battery Company, lead pollutant, assessment, agricultural purposes, anthropogenic sources
Highlights
The Pb concentration ranged from 5.0 mg/kg in southwest direction (500 m) to 182.0 mg/kg in the same direction (0 m) with an overall mean concentration of 59.13 mg/kg Pb which is above the normal crustal average (15 mg/kg) of uncontaminated soils (Kabata-Pendias and Pendias, 2011) and higher than the normal background value of 10 mg/kg reported by Alloway (1990)
The mean Pb concentration (59.13 mg/kg) in soil obtained in this study area falls within the Pb concentration range (38-102 ppm) obtained in the soil around a car battery manufacturing site in Nigeria by Orisakwe et al (2004), 17.07-8469 mg/kg by Yaylali-Abanuz (2011) obtained in surface soil around Gegze industrial area, Turkey but higher than the mean Pb concentrations of 14.13 mg/kg reported by Babatunde et al (2014) in soil in the vicinity of an oil depot in Jos, Nigeria and 47.8 mg/kg by Srinivas et al (2009) in soil within an industrial area, and 18 mg/kg reported by Iyaka and Kakulu (2012b) around a ceramic and pharmaceutical industrial sites in Suleja and Minna, Nigeria
Pb concentrations in the soils from the vicinity of the battery factory studied were substantially higher than the normal crustal average in soil when compared with Zn, Cd, Cr, Fe and Cu levels
Summary
The soil serves as a long term ‘save’ sink for heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, zinc, copper and nickel. Heavy metals such as copper and zinc in the soil are essential trace elements for plants and animals but excessive concentrations through external additions can damage the overall soil fertility and agricultural productivity. These metals are toxic at soil concentration above normal level (Inuwa et al, 2007)
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