You have no items in your shopping cart.
ABSTRACT
xi Groundwater is an important natural resource for portable water and is often the first alternative choice of many consumers due to its perceived safeness. The contamination of groundwater by heavy metals can have harmful effects on human health. The objective of this study was to investigate the concentration and distribution of Cu, Fe, Cr, Zn, Cd, Co, Ni and Pb in selected areas within Benin metropolis. Groundwater samples were collected from three locations (3 rd East Circular Road, Aduwawa Road and Okhoro Road) in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, following standard methods and analysed for heavy metals using the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). Results showed that groundwater samples collected from the boreholes were contaminated with the heavy metals. The order of heavy metal concentration was Fe>Cu>Zn>Ni>Co>Cr>Pb across all the locations. The highest concentration of heavy metal was recorded in 3 rd East Circular Road and Okhoro Road while the lowest concentration was recorded in Aduwawa Road. Cadmium was below detectable limit in all the stations sampled. The concentration of some heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Zn, Cd, Co, Ni and Pb) were found to be within the acceptable limit set by WHO; however, iron exceeded this set limit in all the stations sampled. Groundwater for domestic purposes should be regularly monitored for heavy metals to prevent excessive buildup of these metals which can result in adverse health effects to consumers within the area.
