Assessment of the Concentration of Metals in a Sewage Treatment Pond of the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria

Abstract

Metal concentration of the water in the sewage treatment pond of the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria, was studied between April and September 2007 using Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF) Analysis. The mean concentrations of ten (10) heavy metals observed during the study were as follows: Vanadium 0.75±0.07 mg/L; Chromium 0.69±0.04 mg/L; Manganese 0.61±0.06 mg/L; Iron 0.40±0.03 mg/L; Cobalt 0.31±0.02 mg/L; Nickel 0.25±0.02 mg/L; Copper 0.25±0.02 mg/L; Zinc 0.31±0.08 mg/L; Arsenic 0.24±0.02 mg/L and Lead 0.31±0.08 mg/L. Metal indices of between 67.32 and 93.72 were observed during the study period. Metals like Lead, Arsenic, Nickel, Iron, Manganese and Chromium showed concentrations above Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS) and World Health Organisation (WHO) maximum admissible limit for drinking water while metals like Zinc and Copper showed concentrations below the NIS (2007) and WHO (2008) maximum admissible limit for drinking water. Vanadium and Cobalt had no values for comparison.

Keywords: Evaluation, metals, sewage pond, level, Zaria.

Journal of Aquatic Sciences 28 (1): 25-35 (2013)