Investigation of environmental effect of stone quarrying activities on soil and water in Akpoha and Ishiagu communities of Ebonyi state, Nigeria

Abstract

The research investigated the effect of quarrying activities on water and soil quality in two communities of Ebonyi State of Nigeria. Water and soil pollution that has affected soil fertility necessitated this research. The two quarries are situated in Ishiagu and Akpoha in Nigeria. Water samples were collected from the surface water while borehole water was collected at the depth of 5 m. Samples for total hydrocarbon contents (THC) and heavy metal analysis were collected in a 1-L glass bottle. The samples were collected at the quarrying point, 150 m, 300 m and 450 m away from the source. The collections of these samples were executed in the month of March and September 2018. The soil samples were collected with the aid of an auger into labelled polythene bags and sterile plastic containers. The samples were taken to the laboratory in ice chambers for physicochemical analysis. The samples collected were carried out in both rainy and dry season. The soil samples for physicochemical analysis prior to analysis were air-dried and sieved using a two millimetre sieve. Analysis of variance one-way ANOVA and Post hoc test was carried out to test how independent the variables are. The result indicated that the rainwater was acidic and contains many metallic ions which is due to the presence of suspended particulate matter (PM10) released in the air. The quality of the borehole water from the analysis was less acidic and contains less metallic ion. The soil was observed to be more acidic during the rainy season as the pH values increased. Compared to the dry season, the analysis indicates that the effect is more evident at the quarrying point. The negative environmental effect is more prevalent in the older quarry due to the length of operation.