Heavy Metals Concentration In Soils And Vegetation Around Selected Waste Dumpsites In Delta State

Contamination levels assessment of potential toxic metals such as Ni, Cu, V, Cr, Cd, Pb and Ba in soils and vegetations (Americinthus Spinosus and Brachiria deflexa) around Agbor, Sapele and Warri waste dumpsites were carried out. The aforementioned metals were analytically determined by using the atomic absorption spectrophotometry of model GBC – Scientific A6358, Austira. The results show that all metals levels in soils were higher than their values in Ameranthus, Spinosus and Brachiria deflexa. The levels of Cd in soils from all waste dumpsites were greater than the DPR target values. Also Ni value in Sapele and Pb in Agbor sites were higher than the DPR target values. The contamination/pollution index calculated revealed that the soils were very severely contaminated except that Sapele and Agbor waste dumpsites were polluted with Ni and Pb respectively. All soil samples in this study were polluted with Cd. Metals such as Ni, Cu, Cr, Cd, and Pb showed evidence of metal transfer from the soil to vegetation, although the transfer factor varies from one metal to another.