SOME METAL STATUS OF AUTOMOBILE CONTAMINATED SOIL FROM A SPARE PARTS MARKET AT EFFURUN, WARRI, DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study was conducted in 2013 on some metal status of automobile contaminated soil from different sites of a spare parts market at Effurun, Warri, Delta State, Nigeria. Soil samples were collected from the different sites of the spare parts market and 1km away from it, which was the control. The results of soil analysis using the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer showed that the soil of the spare parts sites is accumulated with heavy metals like Fe, Zn, Cd, Cr, Pb and Cu when compared with values obtained from the control subplots. Although the values observed were not significantly higher than the tolerable limits given by standard bodies including WHO and FAO, the high concentration of the metals reflects a general and diffuse contamination of soil of the automobile spare parts market by heavy metals. The paper recommends that there is an urgent need for the monitoring of spare parts markets across the country because of the inherent health risks of metals abundant in the affected area.