Soil Quality Studies for Some Physicochemical Parameters and Concentrations of Toxic Heavy Metals in Coastal Areas in Akwa Ibom State

摘要

Soil quality studies for some physicochemical parameters of texture, pH, total organic carbon, concentrations of total and available forms of two toxic heavy metals, Lead (Pb) and Cadmium (Cd) in the coastal areas in Akwa Ibom State had been carried out. Thirty four (34) soil samples were taken at 0-15cm and 15-30cm depths respectively at seventeen (17) sites from Ibeno, Oron, and Eastern Obolo coasts. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS) method was employed for the analysis of Pb and Cd. The range of total form of Pb in Ibeno, Oron and Eastern Obolo was 34.9-124.8mg/l, 38.6-64.8mg/l and 72.8-128.6mg/l respectively; and the range of available form of Pb was also found to be 2.36-9.31mg/l, 3.49-6.64mg/l and 2.19-8.76mg/l respectively. The range of total form of Cd was 0.01-0.11mg/l, 0.01-0.04mg/l and 0.01-0.07mg/l; while the range of available form of Cd was 0.02-0.16mg/l, 0.05-0.09mg/l and 0.04-0.09mg/l all in Ibeno, Oron and Eastern Obolo respectively. The result obtained showed that Pb appeared to have highest concentration (total form) in Okorette Sediment in Eastern Obolo, while the available form of Pb and Cd besides total form of Cd, all appear to have highest concentrations in Upenekang, Ibeno.