Abstract
The research was conducted in two notable oil producing communities inNiger Delta, South – South geopolitical zones of Nigeria with aim of assessing the impact and recommending a remediation technique for reclaiming the land for agricultural industrial, and residential purposes. The communities are; Ajoki Community in Ikpoba – Okha Local Government Area of Edo State and Koko Community in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State; both communities are located on 05 25 E 0 ¢¢ and 6 05 N 0 ¢ ¢ . Eleven (11) soil samples were collected in and around the oilproducing communities, five from each community and one from Ugbowo Community in Benin City as a control site. The soils were first tested to ascertain the level of contamination before the experimental procedure began. The physiochemical parameters were determined using standard chemical methods of soil determination while remediation process was descriptive using denitrifying bacteria for 27 days at 7 days intervals. The results obtained were subjected to statistical treatment using micro softexcel format, the results were presented in tables and in graphs for easy understanding and explanation. The geochemical results show that the pollution was mild while the remediation method adopted yielded a positive result which, however, reduced the soil organic content, total nitrogen, nitrate and phosphorus. © JASEM
Highlights
Since the commercial exploration of petroleum started in Nigeria in 1958 in Oloibiri in the present day Bayelsa State in South – South geopolitical zone of Nigeria, the so-called “blackgold” has continuously grown to be the mainstay of the country’s economy
The soil organic content was low in value, about 1.33 percent, when the soil was contaminated with, petroleum, the organic content was further reduced to 1.30 percent which is 3.99 percentage reduction indicating that soil contaminated with petroleum reduces soil fertility
This could be the reason why Nigerian crude oil is rich in some heavy metals; Osibanjo et al, (1983) reported that Nigerian crude oil is rich in heavy metals
Summary
Since the commercial exploration of petroleum (hydrocarbon) started in Nigeria in 1958 in Oloibiri in the present day Bayelsa State in South – South geopolitical zone of Nigeria, the so-called “blackgold” has continuously grown to be the mainstay of the country’s economy. This is as a result of oil spillage and gas flaring; the resulting effects of these activities lead to environmental degradation, soil depletion, water contamination and atmospheric pollution which have adversely affected the inhabitants and the communities where such activities are carried out. It becomes imperative that soils contaminated with foreign and dangerous materials introduced by natural and/or anthropogenic means such as earthquake, volcanic eruption, weathering processes, gas flaring, and oil spillage, industrial activities etc should be subjected to thorough remediation for the purposes of agriculture, .
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