Geochemical Effects of Mineralization in Arufu Area NE Nigeria: Implication on Human Health

Abstract

The sulphide mineralization in Arufu and environs, northeastern Nigeria was investigated with the view of determining the concentrations of selected trace elements in soils, to examine the mineralization potential and their possible health implications. The stratigraphy of the study area shows a dominance of altered carbonates of the Asu River Group which also hosts the mineralization and some outcrops of gneisses. Fifty soil and stream samples were analysed using the Inductively Coupled Plasma – Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) technique. The values for the concentrations of some selected elements ranges from; As(0 - 97.19ppm), Cd(0 - 4.653ppm), Co(0 - 503.2ppm), Cr(4.401 - 6020ppm), Cu(0 - 74.77ppm), Ni(0 - 24560ppm), Pb(3.357 - 59660ppm), S(0 - 4469ppm). Multiple correlation and regression analysis of the geochemical data showed a relationship between Pb and As and significant regression of Pb on As and Cd. The results of the Index of geoaccumulation (Igeo), Contamination Factor (CF) and Degree of Contamination (Cdeg) indicate moderate to high Pb and As contamination. The values obtained indicates As, Pb and Cd have concentrations above the maximum permitted levels of 0.01ppm, 0.01ppm and 0.003ppm respectively in water for human consumption, and above the threshold of contamination of 15ppm and 20ppm for As and Pb respectively. This suggests that more people will be at risk of pollutants as lead – zinc exploitation proceeds. The frequency distribution plots of the elements generally show unimodal distribution indicating that most of the elements belong to a common parent material.