ORIGINAL RESEARCH
An Assessment of Heavy Metals Contents
in the Soil around a Cement Factory in Ewekoro,
Nigeria Using Pollution Indices
Hussein K. Okoro1,4, Benjamin O. Orimolade1, Ganiyu B. Adebayo1, Biliqis A. Akande2,
Bhekumusa J. Ximba3, J. Catherine Ngila4
1Environmental-Analytical Research Group, Department of Industrial Chemistry, Faculty of Physical Sciences,
University of Ilorin, PMB 1515, Ilorin, Nigeria
2Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Physical Sciences, University of Ilorin, P.M.B. 1515, Ilorin, Nigeria
3Environmental-Analytical Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Science Cape Peninsula
University of Technology, P.O. BOX 1906, Cape Town, 7535 Republic of South Africa
4Analytical-Environmental and Membrane Nanotechnology Research Group, Department of Applied Chemistry,
University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 17011, Doornfontein 2028, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
University of Ilorin, PMB 1515, Ilorin, Nigeria
2Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Physical Sciences, University of Ilorin, P.M.B. 1515, Ilorin, Nigeria
3Environmental-Analytical Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Science Cape Peninsula
University of Technology, P.O. BOX 1906, Cape Town, 7535 Republic of South Africa
4Analytical-Environmental and Membrane Nanotechnology Research Group, Department of Applied Chemistry,
University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 17011, Doornfontein 2028, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa
Submission date: 2016-02-10
Final revision date: 2016-03-26
Acceptance date: 2016-03-29
Online publication date: 2017-01-31
Publication date: 2017-01-31
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2017;26(1):221–228
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
This study investigated the concentrations of heavy metals in soils around the WAPCO cement factory in
Ewekoro in southwestern Nigeria. A total of 27 soil samples were collected from three locations (Ewekoro,
Papalanto, and Itori) around the cement factory. Atomic absorption spectroscopy was used to determine the
concentrations of metals. The results revealed that the mean values of the metals content in the three soil
samples were in the order: Fe > Zn > Mn > Cr > Cu > Pb. The concentrations of Pb present in Ewekoro and
Papalanto samples were 0.391 and 0.243 mg/kg, respectively while Pb was not found in the control area
(Itori). The concentrations of the heavy metals in the soil samples were found to decrease as the distances of
the communities from the cement factory increased. Our study revealed that study area soils were affected
by dust emissions from the cement factory as shown in the very low concentrations of heavy metal contents
of the control study area, Itori.
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