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Browsing Doctoral by Author "Ajayi, Olumide"

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    Impacts of anthropogenic activities on soil and water quality of Kolo-Creek, Niger Delta, Nigeria
    (Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2024-11) Ajayi, Olumide
    This study evaluates the impact of anthropogenic activities on soil and water resources in Kolo Creek, Niger Delta, Nigeria. Hydrocarbon exploration, illegal refining, and waste disposal have significantly disrupted environmental balance, necessitating site-specific assessments and pollution evaluation for effective mitigation. Soil, surface water, and groundwater samples were collected from ten georeferenced locations, with groundwater extracted from six meters’ depth. Heavy metals (Fe²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Cr³⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺) were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS), while total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) were measured via gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID). Geotechnical properties (Atterberg limits, porosity, permeability) were assessed per ASTM (1975) and British Standards (BS 1377). Results indicate that apart from low pH (acidic conditions), most surface and groundwater parameters comply with WHO drinking water standards, except Fe²⁺ (125.82 mg/L), Hg²⁺ (1.05 mg/L), TPH, PAH, and BTEX, which exceed permissible limits. Multivariate statistical analysis identified six (6) principal components, while hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) revealed two distinct pollution sources. Correlation analysis confirmed strong interrelations among contaminants, implying a common pollution origin for soil, surface water, and groundwater. Contamination factor analysis classifies Fe²⁺ (9.1) as highly contaminated in surface water, while Ca²⁺ (2.88) and Fe²⁺ (125.82) in groundwater indicate moderate to extreme contamination. Water quality index (WQI) results confirm that 100% of water samples are unfit for drinking, irrigation, or industrial use. Additionally, pollution index of groundwater (PIG >2.5) suggests severe contamination. However, irrigation suitability tests indicate that surface water meets agricultural standards based on Sodium Absorption Ratio (SAR) values. Heavy metal contamination in soil, particularly Fe²⁺ (18.97), Al³⁺ (1.02), Hg²⁺ (1.05), and Cd²⁺ (1.28), poses significant environmental risks. Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) classifies soil as moderately polluted by Cd²⁺ and heavily polluted by Fe²⁺ and Hg²⁺. Furthermore, carcinogenic risk (CR) assessment shows that average CR values exceed 10⁻⁶ (>10⁻⁶) for both adults and children, indicating a potential cancer risk. Alarmingly, children face a threefold higher cancer risk than adults. Hydrocarbon contamination has altered soil geotechnical properties, evidenced by lower permeability and plasticity index (5–9%), classifying it as low-plastic, partially cohesive silt. However, this modification suggests that affected soils could be reused for engineering applications.