GEOSPATIAL QUANTIFICATION OF THE POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARONS (PAHs) IN THE WETLANDS OF KOLOKOLO AND ENVIRONS (OIL BEARING COMMUNITIES), WARRI NORTH, DELTA, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study was an ex-port factor research that investigated the content of PAHs in the wetlands in Kolokolo and environs. The study answered 5 research questions and tested a hypothesis. To achieve these, the wetlands in the 5 settlements were mapped into 5 sampling grids of 50 meters apart and water samples were collected from 5 spots with 125mL plastic sampling bottles at 10cm depth and covered sub surface. The samples from each grid were bulked, composites drawn and fixed with HNO₃ and stored in ice cooled flasks for analysis. The analytical standard adopted was EU 1881/2014 while the instrument of determination deployed was Agilent GC/MS Triple Quadruple model 7000. The mean result obtained were; pyrene 1.02 ± 0.01μg/l, chrysene, 1.02±0.01 μg/l, BaP; 1.03 ± 0.01μg/l BaA; 1.02 ±0.02ug/l and BbF, 1.03 ± 0.02μg/l. The mean results were subjected to test of significance with ANOVA using SPSS IBM model 29 at 0.05 level of significance and the p value was 0.042 thus rejecting H_o. The study concluded that the wetlands are contaminated with PAHs above EU 1881/2014 MPC for wetlands thus the produce are not fit for human and animal consumption. They are equally not exportable. The study recommended that the oil companies should be compelled to adopt world best practices in their operational activities, the monitoring agencies NESREA and NOSDRA should scale up their surveillance and the impacted ecosystem should be remediated and restored.