Indoor Dust-Based Pollution Status and Risk Assessment for a Rural Town, Ebedei in Nigeria Hosting Gas Flare Facility

Abstract

Recently, there has been series of petitions and protestations from petroleum production gas flare facility host communities in Nigeria about the degradation of their environment. This study was designed to conduct indoor dust related human health risk assessment for Cd, Pb, Mn and Ni. Deposited indoor dust samples were collected from sixteen (16) residential buildings distributed across the four quarters of Ebedei waterside town in Nigeria, within the vicinity of a petroleum production gas flare facility. The samples were digested and analysed for Cd, Pb, Mn and Ni concentrations using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Contamination/pollution index (C/PI) and human health risk assessments were conducted. The concentration ranges of 1.2 - 14.9 mg/kg, 44.0 - 161.6 mg/kg and 221.3 - 752.0 mg/kg, and below detection to 29.8 mg/kg were recorded for Cd, Pb, Mn and Ni, respectively. C/PI analyses for metals in the indoor dusts investigated suggested Cd levels to be polluted and Pb levels to be slightly polluted, while Mn and Ni levels indicated contamination. Risk assessment studies indicated that children may be more at risk for all the three exposure pathways. Exposure through the ingestion pathway indicated the highest risk for both the adult and children population.