ASSESSMENT OF CRUDE OIL SPILLAGE ON SOME SOIL PARAM ETERS IN IYEDE COMMUNITY, ISOKO NORTH, NIGER DELTA AREA

Abstract

The incessant oil spillage in the oil producing area of the Niger Delta has led to a downturn in the composition of soil nutrients and soil structure as a result of soil pollution. The aim of the work was to assess the heavy metal concentration in oil polluted soil in the Isoko area of the Niger Delta. Composite samples were taken from three different sites, two from the polluted area and a control sample 100 feet away from the spill area. The physicochemical properties of the soil samples ranged from 1.61 to 3.54 pH, 32.55 to 63.05 mg/L for electrical conductivity, 9.53
to 20.52 °C and 5.44 to 15.55 % moisture content respectively. Total organic carbon, redox, sulphate, chloride, nitrate, and nitrite range from 0.49 to 1.40 %, 56.49 to 115.05 mV, 11.99 to 25.77 mg/kg 23.80 to 49.29 mg/kg, 1.35 to 3.47 mg/kg, and 0.02 to 0.08 mg/kg respectively. The heavy metal concentration in the oil spillage soil was K (68.93 to 84.58 mg/kg), Pb (0.95-1.33 mg/kg), Cd (0.05-0.06 mg/kg) and Cu (1.81-2.66 mg/kg). The control samples had K (140.11
mg/kg), Pb (0.51 mg/kg), Cd (0.01 mg/kg), and Cu (1.14 mg/kg). Sites outside of the control samples had higher nutrient levels and lower quantities of harmful metals than the contaminated area