Environmental impacts of crude oil spillages on water in Ibeno local government area of Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria

Abstract

Crude oil spillage has been identified to be a regular occurrence in Upenekang village in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. This study has been carried out to find out the effect of crude oil spill on stream water and the environmental impact it has on the area. Using water samples obtained at varying distances from the spill site, the effects of the crude oil spill on the surface and underground stream water at the spill site were investigated by testing for the presence as well as the concentrations of toxic heavy metal pollutants. Analyses were also carried out for water conductivity, pH, temperature, hardness, total solids, total dissolved solids, turbidity, suspended solids, dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide, COD, BOD, THC, sodium, magnesium, calcium, sulphate, nitrate, iron, copper, lead, chromium and cadmium concentrations using standard methods. The pH of all the samples of both the surface and underground stream water obtained at the spill site were observed to be acidic with very low dissolved oxygen, low COD, low BOD, high hydrocarbon content, high total dissolved solids, high water hardness and high toxic heavy metal concentrations (iron, copper, lead, chromium and cadmium) investigated for, all above admissible concentrations by World Health Organization’s standards. A one-way ANOVA showed that there is no significant influence of distance away from spill on the level of heavy metals in the water samples collected in the study area.

Keywords: Crude oil spill, Upenekang, Water, WHO, ANOVA.