Abstract
Assessment of the levels of copper, zinc and lead in soils and vegetation around solid waste dumpsites in Port Harcourt and environs were carried out in 2005 using Atomic Absorption spectrophotometric technique. Physical parameters such as pH and particle size were also determined. The results show that the mean concentrations of copper in transect and profile soils and vegetation were 1.20 ± 0.83ppm, 2.57 ± 1.87ppm, 1.48 ± 1.61ppm respectively at the East – West road dumpsite and 2.42 ± 1.87ppm, 1.40 ± 0.61ppm, 1.39 ± 0.67ppm respectively at the Kaduna/Afam street dumpsite. The mean concentrations of zinc in soil and vegetations along the transect were 12.83 ± 4.65ppm, 2.68 ± 1.82ppm, 1.33 ± 0.64ppm, 0.80 ± 0.60ppm respectively at the Kaduna/Afam street dumpsite. The mean concentrations of lead in soils and vegetation were 0.26 ± 0.21ppm, 0.28 ± 0.24ppm, 1.48 ± 0.12ppm respectively at the East – West road dumpsite and 0.45 ± 0.37ppm, 0.20 ± 0.08ppm, 0.39 ± 0.17ppm respectively at the Kaduna/Afam street dumpsite. The order of occurrence of the heavy metals in the topsoils of the study areas was Zn > Cu > Pb. The levels of copper and zinc in soils from the waste dumpsite were significantly different (P
Highlights
The findings of this study show that wastes contributed to the levels of heavy metals in soils and vegetation as depicted by the higher metal concentrations in soils 0m away from the waste dumps
Solid waste deposited on the surface add metallic contaminants to the soil on which economic crops are cultivated
Higher concentrations of lead were obtained at the vicinity of the waste dumpsites than were obtained elsewhere
Summary
Most cities in Nigeria including Port Harcourt are characterized by heaps of garbage and rubbish on street corners and junctions, open place and in drainages, resulting from open dumping of waste. Both the quantity and quality of solid waste generated in Nigeria vary very widely from day to day and according to the season of the year and still increasing mainly due to improper waste management (Ademola, 1993: Osibanjo, 1995; Adeniji and Ogu, 1998, Ideriah et al, 2005). It is very succulent and palatable to animals especially cattle It grows wild, at the immediate neighourhood of wastes dumpsites. The heavy metals, Zinc, Copper and Lead investigated are among metals considered important by the Global
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