Abstract
Sixteen bottom sediment samples collected from Qua-Iboe River estuary and associated creeks were analyzed for Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Zn, Ni, pH, Organic carbon (orgC),and grain size in order to assess the current pollution status in sediment of the study area. Concentration data were processed using Pearson correlation analysis. Sediment pollution assessment was carried out using Enrichment factor, Geo-accumulation index and Modified degree of contamination. The calculated enrichment factor showed that the sediment was enriched with Cd, Zn, Cu and Pb. The results of geo-accumulation index (Igoe) indicated that sediments are unpolluted with Fe, moderately polluted with Cr, Cu, Pb, strongly polluted with Cd and extremely polluted with Ni. This was attributed mainly to oil contaminating wastes and metal scraps. The results of the modified degree of contamination (mCd) revealed that the sediment of Qua Iboe estuary and associated creeks fall between 8 ? mCd ? 16 indicating very high degree of contamination.
Highlights
The pollution of aquatic environment by heavy metals has been a source of serious concern to government regulatory agencies, environmentalist and the public at large (Manahan, 1991)
Sixteen bottom sediment samples collected from Qua-Iboe River estuary and associated creeks were analyzed for Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Zn, Ni, pH, Organic carbon,and grain size in order to assess the current pollution status in sediment of the study area
The total organic carbon in sediments of Qua Iboe River estuary and associated creeks ranged from 0.05% to 1.36%, with an average of 0.38% during the dry season and 0.08% and 1.03% with an average of 0.28% during the wet season (Table 1)
Summary
The pollution of aquatic environment (especially estuaries) by heavy metals has been a source of serious concern to government regulatory agencies, environmentalist and the public at large (Manahan, 1991). This is important because estuaries are rich in nutrient and as a result mothers varieties of fishery resources. They are natural components of the earth’s crust with large variations in concentration They cannot be degraded nor destroyed due to their persistence in the environment. The enrichment of metal in a sink is shown mainly by an increase in their concentrations in the bottom sediment Their occurrence in the environment results primarily from anthropogenic activities. Natural processes, such as weathering of rocks and volcanic activities play a significant role in the enrichment of heavy metals in water bodies (Forstner & Wittmann, 1981; Forstner & Wittmann, 1983; Nriagu, 1989)
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