Assessment of Heavy Metals Concentrations in Some Irrigated Soils of Dadin-Kowa Dam, Gombe State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study assessed heavy metals concentration in some irrigated soils of Dadin Kowa Dam, Gombe State Nigeria. The soils were collected along transect  lines (different sampling points) within the farms and samples were taken to the laboratory for analysis. The analysis was conducted using (Thermo  Fisher Scientific) Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy. The results give the following metals with their mean concentrations: Mo (8.200 and  8.926), Zr (432.990 and 440.236), Sr (204.358 and 87.142), Rb (47.642 and 42.533), Zn (44.165 and NA), Cu (42.161 and NA), Fe (43090.640 and 24846.236),  Mn, (992.881 and 397.248), Cr (140.456 and 88.054), V (56.842 and 27.159), Ti (2403.982 and 1421.486), Ca (3344.789 and 982.722), K (4706.758 and 3172.  047), S (466.152 and 310.510), Ba (933795.090 and 959675.238) and Nb (26.285 and 24.964) were obtained from the onion and cabbage farmssoils  samples respectively (Values in part per millions (ppm)). The degree of pollution of the soils studied were ascertained and compared with literature  toxicity data. Other pollution indices like Enrichment factor, Clarke ratio, Coefficient of variation, Contamination factor, Metal Pollution Index and Geo-  Accumulation Index were assessed also and found out that the contamination level for the soils is tolerable for irrigation. At α = 0.01 significant level,  positive correlation exists between Fe and Cu, Zn and Ca while Zn and Rb; Ca and Rb have significantly negative correlation between them. By  implications, these results showed that the complexes of some elements within the soil strata could influence the presence of other given elements.  Therefore, Dam irrigation area soils studied showed relatively low state of pollution for the elements determined.