Seasonal Variation of PAHs in Marshy Soils from Warri City, Nigeria

Author(s): Adejoke Victoria BAYOWA, I. E. Agbozu

Seasonal variation has been used to analyse the levels of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons PAHs in marshy soils in Warri city, Niger Delta region in Southern Nigeria. Soil samples were collected from four locations in Warri city- Ekpan, Ogunu, Ugboroke, and Okotie sawmill and labelled ST 1, ST 2, ST 3 and ST 4 respectively. Control samples were also collected at Agbarho, 20km away from Warri and labelled ST 5. The objective of this study is to compare marshy soil levels of PAHs in dry and rainy season and examine their variation base on the type of PAHs detected in relation to the characteristics of the different locations. The samples were collected from January to March for dry season and June to August for rainy/wet season. Levels of 16 USEPA priority PAHs were determined using GC-FID. Highest total concentration for individual PAHs in the soil samples was 1.069 mg/kg for benzo(a)pyrene in dry season ST4 (Okotie sawmill) sample. At the control station ST 5, sample with highest dry season concentration was 0.519 mg/kg of benzo(ghi)perylene. In the rainy season, PAHs were majorly below detection limit or found in minute quantity at the study location and control. ST4 had highest total PAHs concentration of 1.911 mg/kg in dry season. The station with the lowest concentration was ST1 with a value of 0.009 mg/kg in rainy season. The results of this analysis further revealed that total PAHs concentration in Warri city were higher than at the control station (Agbarho).

Benzo(a) Pyrene, Concentration, Dry Season, Niger Delta, Rainy Season

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