Heavy Metal Levels in Roadside Soils of some Major Roads in Maiduguri, Nigeria

Abstract

Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optimal Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), Optima 2000, Perkin Elmer was used to analyze the levels of Mn, Zn, Cu and Pb in samples from roadside soils of four major roads namely; Damboa, Baga, Bama and Kano roads in Maiduguri for possible heavy metals contamination due to anthropogenic activities. The results reveal that the roadside soils Cu levels ranged from 0.21±0.01 mg/kg in Damboa road to 2.51±0.02 mg/kg in Kano road. Pb was only detected in the road side soils of Kano road in the range of 0.03±0.00 to 0.11±0.01mg/kg. Mn levels obtained from this study ranged from 0.47±0.02 mg/kg in Bama road to13.83 ±0.01mg/kg in Baga road. Zn ranged from 0.07±0.02mg/kg in Bama road to 3.68 ±0.02 mg/kg in Damboa road. The concentrations of the heavy metals in the roadside soils were in the order: Mn> Zn > Cu >Pb. Possible accumulation of these heavy metals in the soils and eventually transfer to plants growing along the edges of the highways could occur as a result of continual usage of the roads by automobiles. This can also lead to accumulation of the heavy metals in the tissues of organisms that feed on the plants growing along the edges of the highways which can be transferred to other consumers in the food chain. The results obtained from this study will be used as baseline reference for future studies in the area and its environs.