Soil quality and metal distribution around stone quarries within Abeokuta, Southwest, Nigeria

Abstract

Quarrying activities are explored to extract a variety of materials deposited underneath the earth surface. These activities however can potentially impact negatively on soil quality and cause elemental pollution. This study assessed soil quality and distribution of metals in soils around four quarrying sites (PAPA, S&D, TCity and Mile 8) within Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. Thirty six topsoil samples were collected at distances from quarry gates in September 2019 and analyzed using standard methods. Soil quality and metal concentrations were compared with reference and standards and the degrees of soil contamination assessed using relevant indices. Soil quality reduced with distance from the quarry gates. Similarly, metal concentrations had strong and significant (P=0.05) negative relationships with distance and were higher in soil samples compared to the reference. Moderate contaminations for all metals were observed in soils collected close to the quarry gates soils from the results of the contamination factor index (Cf). However, the results of ecological risk index (Ei) showed that the metal loads in soils currently do not pose any ecological risk.
 Keywords: Quarry, Soil quality, Metal distribution, Soil contamination, Potential ecological risk

Pollution Risk Assessment of the Soil Near the Quarries in Ogun State, Nigeria

“…Finally, the K (rainy season) values across locations vary from 0.003 ± 0.0-0.228 ± 0.11 µg/kg with their respective locations; OGB and IDO. None of these values was lesser than the control (0.003 ± 0.00 µg/kg) (Olatunde et al, 2021).…”

“…Al (harmattan season) varies from 10.45 ± 0.17-16.09 ± 0.49 µg/kg; with the OGB and BAA respectively. All the locations were greater than the control (11.40 ± 0.10 µg/kg) (Olatunde et al, 2021). Furthermore, Al (rainy season) ranges between 0.0012 ± 0.0-0.0021 ± 0.01 µg/kg with corresponding locations; 1GO and IDO/BAA.…”

“…Furthermore, K (harmattan season) values across the locations vary from (ILA) 0.04 ± 0.11-0.07 ± 0.41 µg/kg (IWA). However, three locations; IWA (0.07 ± 0.41 µg/kg), IDO (0.07 ± 0.7µg/kg) and ISA (0.07 ± 0.39 µg/kg) were more or less the same values as the control (0.07 ± 0.00 µg/kg) (Olatunde et al, 2021). Finally, the K (rainy season) values across locations vary from 0.003 ± 0.0-0.228 ± 0.11 µg/kg with their respective locations; OGB and IDO.…”

“…In fact, all the locations were greater than the control (0.0004 ± 0.00 µg/kg). (Olatunde et al, 2021). Furthermore, K (harmattan season) values across the locations vary from (ILA) 0.04 ± 0.11-0.07 ± 0.41 µg/kg (IWA).…”

“…The geo-accumulation levels of the metal (heavy or trace) are ranked by using seven values of the index as in Table 4 Table 4 Classi cation of Geo-Accumulation Index (Hassan et The degree of enrichment of any element is based on ve enrichment factor classes in the Table 5 Table 5 Classi cation of the Enrichment Factor index (Baltas, 2020;Sutherland et al, 2000) RESULT AND DISUSSION (Olatunde et al, 2021). Si (rainy season) across the locations, the values were within the range 0.0001 ± 0.0-3.474 ± 0.34 µg/kg with OGB and IGO respectively; with the exclusion of OGB (0.0001 ± 0.0 µg/kg), all other locations were greater than the control (0.0007 ± 0.00 µg/kg) (Olatunde et al, 2021). Al (harmattan season) varies from 10.45 ± 0.17-16.09 ± 0.49 µg/kg; with the OGB and BAA respectively.…”