Heavy metal concentration from gas flaring sites in Umuebulu Etche l.g.a and Agbada II in ObioAkpor/Ikwere l.g.a, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

Heavy metal contamination is of great concern due to its effect as being carcinogenic in nature. Heavy metal concentration was determined in bitter leaf, plantain leaf, cassava leaf, cassava tuber, pepper leaf, pepper fruit, pawpaw leaf, pawpaw fruit, water leaf around gas flaring sites in Umuebulu Etche LGA and Agbada II in Obio/Akpor LGA Rivers State. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer was used for the determination of heavy metals (cadmium, arsenic, lead and chromium) concentration in the samples. These samples were subjected to standard laboratory analysis for the determination of heavy metals (cadmium, arsenic, lead and chromium) concentration. The concentrations of lead arsenic in crop samples from Agbada II and Umuebulu are below FAO/WHO permissible limit.  The concentration of Chromium ranged from 0.000 to 0.410mg/kg in all the samples in Umuebulu and Agbada community. The concentration of chromium in bitter leaf, plantain leaf, pepper leaf, pepper fruit, cassava leaf, were above FAO/WHO permissible limit for both communities. The concentration of chromium in cassava tuber, pawpaw leaf, pawpaw fruit, water Leaf were below FAO/WHO permissible limit for Umuebulu and Agbada communities. The concentration of cadmium ranged from 0.000 to 1.4 mg/kg in all the samples in Umuebulu and Agbada community. Cadmium concentration in Bitter Leaf, Plantain Leaf, Pepper Leaf, Pepper Fruit were below FAO/WHO permissible limit except cassava leaf, cassava tuber cadmium concentration which are above FAO/WHO permissible limit for both communities. The study had shown that the crops harvested from the study area were polluted and can pose serious health problem to the humans and animals if consumed. Government and regulatory bodies should enforce the use of any of the flare gas recovery system (FGRS) to minimize the amount of gas being flared into the Environment.