Water Quality and Hydrocarbon Contaminant Level in Soil and Fishes Around Abuloma Jetty, Port Harcourt, Nigeria


	Journal of Environmental Science and Technology
	Year: 2020 \| Volume: 13 \| Issue: 2 \| Page No.: 106-117 DOI: 10.3923/jest.2020.106.117

Water Quality and Hydrocarbon Contaminant Level in Soil and Fishes Around Abuloma Jetty, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

E.O. Nwaichi

, A.A. Uwakwe

and M.S. George

Abstract: Background and Objectives: A jetty is a structure that projects from the land out into water. Anthropogenic activities in and out of the land and water introduce contamination around such water and that needs evaluation. This study was carried out to assess the water quality and hydrocarbon exposure levels of soil around the river and selected commonly consumed fishes (Tilapia and mullet) and seafood (Crab) collected from Abuloma Jetty river. Okujagu-ama river served as control. Materials and Methods: Biological oxygen demand, pH, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, temperature conductivity, dissolved oxygen, PAHs, TPH and BTEX were measured in water and soil samples while, PAHs bioaccumulation were measured in studied fishes and seafood. Results: The physico-chemical parameters of the water showed a high degree of pollution of study water samples indicated by low DO, pH and high TSS. Benzo [b] fluoranthene gave the highest amount (6.91 mg kg^–¹) among study fishes and seafood. Average concentration of TPH ranged from below detectable limit 0f 0.0001 to 55.81±1.00 mg kg^–¹ in water and 0.0001 to 1166.14±57.57 mg kg^–¹ in soil. Generally, the total TPH and PAHs concentration in Abuloma Jetty were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those in Okujagu-ama samples and exceeded set limits by United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR). Diagnostic ratios applied implicated pyrogenic sources of PAHs in water from Abuloma and petrogenic sources for Okujagu. Highly carcinogenic Benzo{a}pyrene was found in abundance in samples from Abuloma Jetty river and portends danger. Conclusion: The consumption of fishes and seafood from this river should be discouraged and immediate remediation is highly recommended.

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How to cite this article:

E.O. Nwaichi, A.A. Uwakwe and M.S. George, 2020. Water Quality and Hydrocarbon Contaminant Level in Soil and Fishes Around Abuloma Jetty, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 13: 106-117.

DOI: 10.3923/jest.2020.106.117

URL: https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=jest.2020.106.117

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