Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution in Soils from Farms in the Vicinity of Durumi Quarry Site in Mpape, Abuja Nigeria

Abstract

Seasonal concentrations of eight total and bioavailable heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Cd, Zn, Mn, Ni, Pb an Fe), along with some physico chemical properties of soil in vegetable farms around the rock quarry in Durumi, Abuja was assessed to know the level of heavy metal pollution of the soil. Control and actual soil samples were collected from depths of 0.0 -5.0cm and 5.0 - 10.0cm during dry and rainy seasons. Heavy metal concentrations varied inconsistently in samples and control. Dry season levels of Zn(5.20mg/kg), Mn(19.44mg/kg), Ni(1.69mg/kg) and Pb(4.56mg/kg) and rainy season levels of Zn (0.26mg/kg), Pb(22.53mg/kg) at soil depth of 0.0 - 5.0cm, and dry season levels of Zn(1.19mgkg) and Ni(1.62mg/kg) along with rainy season levels of Cr (0.44mg/kg), Cd (0.06mg/kg), Zn(0.09mg/kg) and Fe(6.74mg/kg) at soil depth of 5.0 -10.0cm were all higher in samples than controls. However, seasonal mean total heavy metals in the soil samples were lower than the Maximum Allowable Limits (mg/Kg) for World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). During dry season, heavy metals that indicated anthropogenic content, had anthropogenic levels that ranged in the order: Cd(16.67%) < Cu(54.17%)