Evaluation of the Status of Heavy Metal Pollution of Water (Surface and Ground) and Aquatic Macrophyte (Ceratophyllum demersum) of Agbabu Bitumen Deposit Area, Nigeria

Aims: This research is aimed at determination of heavy metals concentrations in water (surface and ground) and aquatic macrophyte and to compare the values with the standard recommendations.
Study Design: Water (surface and ground) and aquatic macrophyte (Ceratophyllum demersum) were analyzed for heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Mn, Cr, Zn, Hg, Pb, Cd, Ni, and V) content. Surface water was collected from six sampling sites in the dry and rainy seasons of years 2008 and 2009. Ground water was also collected from six sampling sites in the dry and rainy seasons of years 2008 and 2009. Aquatic macrophyte was collected from two sampling sites in the dry and rainy seasons of years 2008 and 2009.
Place and Duration of Study: Samples were collected from Agbabu bitumen deposit area, Western Nigeria, in the dry and rainy seasons of years 2008 and 2009
Methodology: Analysis was carried out using atomic absorption spectrometry.
Results: In dry season of 2008, surface and ground water in all sampling stations, except one, had concentrations of Cr and Mn that were higher than WHO recommendations for potable water, which is 0.05ppm and 0.01ppm respectively. The mean concentrations of Fe and Ni were also higher than WHO recommendations in most of the water samples examined. Fe had the highest mean concentration in aquatic plant (Ceratophyllum demersum) in the dry and rainy season of years 2008 and 2009. Bio-concentration Factor (BCF) of metals in Ceratophyllum demersum were as high as 3620.00 (Zn-dry season 2009), showing that it can be used in phytoremediation of surface water polluted with heavy metals. Analysis of variance and multiple comparison of concentration of Cr and Mn in surface and ground water with SPSS 17 (α = .05) showed no statistically significant differences between the sampling points which shows that Cr and Mn in the study must have originated from similar sources.
Conclusions: The study area presently has been impacted by the presence of bitumen. Data available in this study can be used as baseline for monitoring of metal contamination at Agbabu bitumen deposit area.