Heavy metals assessment of leachate contaminated soils from selected dumpsites in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, South-South, Nigeria

The effects of leachate on heavy metals content of dumpsite soils were assessed using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The results obtained showed that Iron (Fe) was the most abundant metal, with the highest concentration observed at the Rumuigbo dumpsite. The least concentrated metal in the dumpsites was vanadium (V) with the lowest value observed at the Slaughter dumpsite. The order of the metal concentrations in the dumpsites were Fe>Cu>Zn>Mn>Ni>Pb>Cr>Cd>V. All the metals except cadmium (Cd) were below the required permissible limit in soils by DPR, China and the world average value in shale. All the metals except cadmium (Cd) were below the permissible limits in soils. Contamination and pollution index models showed that the soils were within the uncontaminated – moderately contaminated in the various dumpsites for all the metals except Cu which was moderate – strong pollution and Cd which showed strong pollution in all the dumpsites. All the metals except Cd showed low contamination tendencies when tested against the geo-accumulation index. Interpretation of the data with ecological risk factor showed that all the metals except Cd had little or no Pollutional tendencies, but potential ecological risk assessment however, showed that the environment is at the risk of being polluted by these metals.