Integration of Heavy Metal Indexes and Health Risk Assessment in Groundwater Studies in Urban Area of Port Harcourt, Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

Abstract

The Niger Delta region of Nigeria is faced with a serious environmental hazard from heavy metal (HM) pollution in groundwater, mostly as a result of local oil corporations' operations within the communities and its suburbs.. Physical characteristics such as pH, and Ec, heavy metals (Fe, Pb, Mn, As, Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, and Cr) were measured in 17 groundwater samples that were collected. The influence of heavy metals on groundwater chemistry is revealed by the principal component analysis (PCA) analysis results. According to the child population's dermal techniques, findings showed that 6 % of samples with low risk, 41 % with medium risk, and 51 % with high risk. Yet, 29 % of adults are at medium risk and 71 % of adults pose insignificant to low risk. According to the evaluated Carcinogenic Risk (CR) scores of the groundwater samples that were considered in this study, there was a very high propensity to effect the development of cancer in consumers, including adults and children. The research area's Heacy Metal Pollution Index ( HPI) ranges from 7.15 to 63.08with an average value of 27.16 according to the HPI data. This suggests that there is generally safe water because the HPI throughout the research area is below 100. Fe was found to be positive in 12 (70.59%) samples (FET/01,02,03,07,08,10,11,12,14,15,16, and 17) and zero in 5 (29.41%) samples (FET/04/05/06/09,13) based on the results of the Quantification of Contamination (QoC).For Ni, 58.82% of samples (FET/01, 02, 03, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 14, and 16) had negative QoC scores, while seven (41.18%) samples (FET/04, 05, 06, 07, 13, 15, and 17) had positive QoC scores. These findings underscore the urgent need for continued groundwater monitoring and implementation of effective purification technologies before consumption to mitigate health risks associated with heavy metal contamination in the Niger Delta region.. The present investigation concluded that this location's groundwater needed to have its HM level measured