Heavy metals determination and assessment in a petroleum impacted River in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

The concentrations of heavy metals in (mg/g) of Pb, Ni, Cu, Cr, Fe, Co, Cd, and Hg in the water and sediments of river Ijana Warri, were determined in order to assess the impact of petroleum-processing activities on the river and the surrounding environment. The data showed that the levels of these metals ranged between 0.15-1.18 mg/g and 0.10-0.48 mg/g in sediment and water respectively. The heavy metals concentrations reported for the water have an abundance trend in the order of Pb Fe Ni Cr Cu Co Cd Hg, while those of thesediments is in the order of Pb Fe Cr Ni Cu Cd Hg Co. The control analysis was carried out in a non- oil polluted river (Ikpoba River) and the values served as base line values for the study.