A Follow-up Study on Lead Poisoning in Soil and Drinking Water Sources in Bagega Village in Zamfara State, Nigeria
Date
2024-12-31
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Faculty of Basic and Applied Sciences, Kebbi State University, Kebbi, Nigera
Abstract
Lead poisoning from artisanal small-scale gold mining has occurred in 38 villages in Zamfara State, Nigeria since 2010. Soils from only 8 of the affected villages had been remediated including those from the town used for this study. This study assesses the lead concentration in the soil and water media of the village. Soil samples were collected in the vicinity of the village as well as at the mining/processing site. Water samples were also collected from well, boreholes and the pond near the village. All samples were collected, preserved, and prepared for lead analysis using standard procedures. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer was used for lead content analysis. Lead in the mining/processing site (soil) was 9200 to 12500 mg/kg while that of the village soil was between 10.1 and 33.6 mg/kg. Lead content was detectable only in the well water (0.1 to 0.3 mg/kg) and in the pond (0.9 to 1.21 mg/kg). Although the values were below the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guideline for soil lead, the level in water was elevated above the maximum allowable limit for drinking water. Better monitoring of children between 5 and 15 years of age for bioaccumulation was suggested to prevent future reoccurrence of the health impact of the affected children and young adults.
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Citation
4. Salami, O. O., Aminu, L., Sawyerr, H. O. (2024). A Follow-up Study on Lead Poisoning in Soil and Drinking Water Sources in Bagega Village in Zamfara State, Nigeria. Savanna Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences 6(2):171-176.