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Contamination, sources and risk assessments of metals in stream sediments of Pouma area, Pan-African Fold Belt, Southern Cameroon

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Abstract

The Pouma area is located within the Yaoundé domain of the Pan-Africa Fold Belt in Cameroon. The objective of this study was to examine the geochemical distributions of elements in stream sediment so as to assess the trace metal contamination, sources of pollution and ecological risks assessment. Samples were obtained by panning and analysed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer. Stream sediments exhibit high content of Fe2O3 (0.48–8.86%), Mn (142–887 ppm), Th (12 to > 200 ppm), Zr (0.8–174 ppm), Sr (3–106 ppm), Au (18.9 to > 10,000 ppb), V (5–85 ppm), Y (9.62–101 ppm), rare earth elements (ΣREE = 181–3364 ppm), and depleted in the rest of elements. Factor analysis shows up to five factors accounting for 88.74% of cumulative variance. The pollution load index (PLI: 1.1–8.1), enrichment factor (EF: 0.01–1221), integrated nemerow pollution load index (NIPI: 3.57–25.93) and potential ecological risk index (RI: 3–7504) of silver (Ag), aluminum (Al), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), thorium (Th), uranium (U), yttrium (Y), zinc (Zn) and zirconium (Zr) indicate sediments contamination and metal pollution. Natural and metal input assessment reveals that the dominantly mafic lithology, quarrying and domestic activities as well as agricultural practices are the main source of metal contamination in Pouma area. The results of this study provide some valuable insights as it concerns the sediment assessment approach, which can be used to design and plan strategic sediment management programmes in the Pouma area.

Article Highlights

• Pouma area is located within the Yaoundé domain of the Pan-Africa Fold Belt in Cameroon

• The pollution parameters obtained in the Pouma area indicate contamination and metal pollution

• Natural and anthropogenic metal input are the main sources of metal contamination in Pouma area

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Data Availability

The Datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This study is a part of the first author Msc thesis research work at the University of Buea. We gratefully acknowledge the editors for the handling of the manuscript.

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The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon

    Ndema Mbongué Jean-Lavenir & Tume Noela Kiki

  2. University of Yaoundé I, Faculty of Sciences, (Department of Earth Sciences), Yaoundé, Cameroon

    Ndema Mbongué Jean-Lavenir

  3. Department of Geology, Mining and Environmental Science, The University of Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon

    Lemnyuy Prosper Yiika

  4. Department of Conseil & Suivis Logistique, Cameroon, Cameroon

    Godlove Muh Ndi

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  1. Ndema Mbongué Jean-Lavenir
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Ndema Mbongue Jean-Lavenir, Tume Noela Kiki and Godlove Muh Ndi. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Tume Noela Kiki and Lemnyuy Prosper Yiika. All authors read and approved de final manuscript.

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Jean-Lavenir, N.M., Kiki, T.N., Yiika, L.P. et al. Contamination, sources and risk assessments of metals in stream sediments of Pouma area, Pan-African Fold Belt, Southern Cameroon. Water Air Soil Pollut 234, 160 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-023-06180-4

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