PHYSICOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF PETROLEUM CONTAMINATED SOIL FROM ELEME, PORT-HARCOURT

PHYSICOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF PETROLEUM CONTAMINATED SOIL FROM ELEME, PORT-HARCOURT

2 Statement of the Problem

Petroleum substances pose a threat to the environment as they negatively affect plant production and put health of people and animals at risk (Zacharyasz et al., 2012 and Kolwzan et al., 2001). They cause carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic effects (Ribes et al., 2003, Freitag et al., 1985 and DEC, 1992). Chemicals associated with oil spillage are benzene, toluene, petroleum hydrocarbons, phenol, oil and grease, heavy metals etc. Some of these substances are volatile, have moderate solubility in water and are readily absorbed by the organic components of the soil. They can enter the body by ingestion of contaminated crops, inhalation of vapour from the soil, intake of contaminated drinking water and skin exposure while bathing. They are all toxic but benzene is a recognized carcinogen. When inhaled for long periods in low concentrations they can cause brain damage. Metal poisoning and other forms of toxicity are caused by heavy metals. Oil spillage brings death and barrenness. Babies in Nigeria are at double risk of dying before they reach a month old if mothers lived near the scene of an oil spillage before conceiving (Edozie, 2017). A 2011 report by the UN Environmental Program estimated 5 that after decades of repeated oil spillage in Ogoni land, it would take 30 years to reverse damage to public health and ecosystem. Oil spillage affects soil physical, biological and chemical properties. The daily maximum surface temperature of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils is often higher than that of adjacent control sites (Aislabie et al., 2004). Oil spillage usually causes anaerobic environment in soil by smothering soil particles and blocking air diffusion in the soil pores thus affecting soil microbial communities (Townsend et al., 2003, Labud et al., 2007, and Sutton et.al., ,2013). Other effects of crude oil spillage on soil physical properties include decreased pore spaces (porosity), saturated hydraulic conductivity and increased bulk density..The decreased pore spaces apart from reducing soil aeration, minimize infiltration of water into the soil (Abosede, 2013). Hydrocarbon contamination can also increase soil total organic carbon (Ekundayo and Obuekwe, 2000) and change soil pH values (Hu et al., 2006; Wang et.al., 2010) and other soil chemical properties (Kisic et al., 2009). pH values can be increased to 8.0 and available phosphorus concentration reduced (Wang et al., 2013). Maximum permissible levels of substances in soil and water are given by National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), WHO, The Environmental Management (Soil Quality Standards) Regulations, and other environmental agencies. To ensure that these maximum permissible levels are not exceeded, determination of the levels of these substances in environmental samples is done and remedies proffered where they exceed maximum permissible levels.

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