Petroleum Hydrocarbons Contamination Profile of Ochani Stream in Ejamah Ebubu, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria

摘要

Petroleum hydrocarbon contamination profile, heavy metals and some physicochemicalparameters were investigated in Ochani Stream site in Ejamah Ebubu, Eleme Local Government Area of RiversState. The results show that a major crude oil spillage occurred at Ejamah Ebubu, Rivers State, Nigeriaapproximately 30 years ago. This assessment of study of the status of the site within the immediate vicinity of thespill revealed the existence of the Ochani Stream site further downstream. With this study, the state of thehydrocarbon contamination resulting from the spill has been identified. The nature and extent of the petroleumhydrocarbon contamination across the Ochani Stream site has been defined. The study revealed a total number ofnine dump pits on this site. The pits contained weathered crude oil. Seven of them were located on the elevated dryland to the southwest and slope towards the swampy bush. The other two were located on the opposite side of thestream, to the north of the swamps. The pits which had an average depth of 1.14m, representing a total surface areaof about 184m2 and a total volume of the order of 220m3 of heavily contaminated sludge. The contamination withinthe swampy area was non-homogenous and randomly distributed. Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon contamination levelsvaried widely across the site, from negligible, to heavily contaminated. Depth of contamination was very shallow. Atan estimated average depth of 150mm over an area of 6.05 Ha the total volume of contaminated soil/sediment was9075m3. The levels of toxic species such as heavy metals, PAH and BTEX compounds were found to be very lowand they do not pose a significant environmental hazard.