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Influence of Urban Informal Activities on Pollutant Levels in Water and Soil of Some Cities in Northern Nigeria

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Abstract

The effect of informal sector activities on soil and water quality in some Northern Nigerian cities (Jos and Sokoto) was studied. The work aimed at establishing the pollutant levels in soil and water due to informal economic activities in the investigated area. Samples were analyzed for physicochemical properties and heavy metal levels using standard methods. Results were compared to controls and permissible limits of Nigeria’s Department of Petroleum Resources and World Health Organization. The soils were sandy; very saline in Sokoto while Jos was non-saline, with 33% (Sokoto) and 100% (Jos) having pH of 6.0–8.0. The organic matter and organic carbon contents in soil were higher than in the control samples. The heavy metals (mg/kg) in Sokoto were Fe (9.42 ± 1.69) > Cu (2.38 ± 2.00) > Pb (1.37 ± 1.55) > Cd (0.01 ± 0.04) and Fe (15,366.85 ± 1763.57) > Cu (202.42 ± 149.97) > Pb (72.79 ± 40.82) for Jos. Cu levels were high compared to their respective controls. The soils in Sokoto were unpolluted with Cu, Fe, and Pb as Cd showed considerable to extreme pollution, while only Cu showed extreme pollution in Jos. Water samples showed low contamination with most physicochemical properties agreeing with the permissible limits. However, 100% samples in Sokoto showed a very high water quality index, indicating “unsuitability of the water for consumption, while in Jos, it was of good quality. The unsuitability of the water for consumption arises due to very high water quality index linked to elevated values of Cd, Cr, Fe, Pb, and turbidity levels in most samples. Principal Component Analysis identified that both the geogenic and anthropogenic factors contributed to the contaminant levels. It could be concluded that the study was able to expose the consequences of informal sector activities on the quality of soil and water, and the associated risks.

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Acknowledgements

The authors appreciate and acknowledge the Nigerian Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for funding this research under the TETFUND NRF grant 2015.

Funding

The research was sponsored by Nigerian Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND NRF grant 2015).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Imo State University, P. M. B 2000, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria

    Emmanuella Chinenye Onyenechere

  2. Department of Economics, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria

    Uwazie Iyke Uwazie

  3. Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

    Ephraim Ikechukwu Elenwo

  4. Department of Chemistry, Imo State University, P. M. B. 2000, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria

    Francis Chizoruo Ibe

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  1. Emmanuella Chinenye Onyenechere
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Correspondence to Francis Chizoruo Ibe.

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Onyenechere, E.C., Uwazie, U.I., Elenwo, E.I. et al. Influence of Urban Informal Activities on Pollutant Levels in Water and Soil of Some Cities in Northern Nigeria. Chemistry Africa 4, 1031–1049 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42250-021-00266-4

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