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Journal of Applied Sciences

Year: 2005 | Volume: 5 | Issue: 5 | Page No.: 816-819
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Authors

C.E. Adeeyinwo

J.G. Ayenimo

I.A. Amoo

Keywords

Research Article

Exchangeable Metals in the Warri Coastal Sediments, Nigeria

C.E. Adeeyinwo, J.G. Ayenimo and I.A. Amoo
An investigation of the pollution by heavy metals of the surface sediments of Warri River was carried out at three selected industrial locations. The levels of eight exchangeable metals iron, copper, barium, lead, cadmium, chromium, nickel and cobalt in mg/kg were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry at upstream, effluent zone and downstream of the river in each industrial location. The higher concentrations of some of the metals observed at the discharge points implicated an adjacent industry as one of the contributors of heavy metals in the aquatic system. The concentration ranges of the exchangeable metals decrease in the order Fe>> Cu> Cd> Cr> Ba>Ni> Pb> Co in the vicinity of a refinery and Fe>> Cu> Cr> Ni> Pb> Cd> Co in steel works, while those in crude oil drilling area decrease in the order Fe>> Cu>Ba>Pb> Cd> Ni> Co> Cr. In descending order of predominance, the overall mean ranges of the exchangeable metal concentrations in the sediments are Fe (0.32-5.82), Cu (0.02-3.00), Ba (0-2.01), Pb (0-1.67), Ni (0.03-1.27), Cd (0-0.81) and Cr (0.02-1.27) Co (0-0.34). This order reflects the magnitude of the metals likely to be released into the liquid phase and/or that will be readily available for uptake by aquatic flora and fauna. Correlation analysis of elemental concentrations suggest that some of them are strongly associated, indicating a common source or chemical similarity for the metal pairs.
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