Onoriode O. Emoyan

The aim of this study is to assess heavy metals levels, pollution indices and ecological risks of floodplain sediments in urban areas in Delta State, Nigeria. The levels of nine heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu, Co, Mn, Zn and Fe) were measured in floodplain sediments of urban areas in Delta State, Nigeria. Sediment samples from the nine urban areas were collected for three months (July-September) covering the wet season. The sediment samples were digested with aqua regia, and the heavy metal levels in the digests were quantified by means of atomic absorption spectrometry.

This study assessed the spatial and seasonal variations, potential risks and sources of organochlorine pesticides in municipal solid waste dumpsites (MSWDs) in Delta State. Soil samples were obtained from twenty-seven MSWDs in Delta State. Soil samples were extracted with hexane/dichloromethane and cleaned up in a column of silica gel and florisil. The OCPs in the extracts were quantified with a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The ∑20 OCPs levels in the soils varied between 0.74 and 7.29 ng g-1for the dry season and from 0.09 to 9.47 ng g-1 for the wet season.