Bioconcentration of Heavy Metals in high Density traffic area of Port Harcourt Metopolis, Nigeria

Abstract

The Bioconcentration factor (BCF) of selected heavy metals in grasses growing along High Density Traffic Area (HDTA) and Low Density Traffic Area (LDTA) of Port Harcourt metropolis was ascertained. The results show BCF for Heavy Metals in grasses along HDTA are significantly higher than their counterpart along LDTA even though the values of heavy metals in the soil along the LDTA are relatively higher than those along HDTA. This shows that aerial deposition or diffusion of these Heavy Metals from automobile exhaust and adsorption processes to the grasses along HDTA plays a major role in their Bioconcentration. The order of BCF of Heavy Metals in grasses along HDTA (Cr > Cd = Co > Ni > Zn > Pb > Fe) and LDTA (Cr > Cd > Ni > Pb > Co > Zn > Fe) shows that Cr and Cd having highest BCF of 2.97 and 2.50 in grasses along HDTA and 0.68 and 0.67 in grasses along LDTA respectively, could be used to monitor their aerial deposition from automobile exhaust.

Keywords: Heavy metal, Bioaccumulation, High Density Traffic Area, Low Density Traffic Area.