Assessment of Heavy Metals in Soil and Underground Water at Coal Camp Enugu Nigeria

The investigation was focused on Coal Camp, Enugu, where the heavy metal concentrations in the soil and subsurface water were created by automechanic activities. There was an analysis of soil and subterranean water samples from five local auto repair companies for certain heavy metals, including lead, cadmium, and chromium. We took three separate soil samples at different depths: 0– 15, 15–30, and 30-45 cm. At five different locations around the region, water samples were taken from wells that had been cut. Using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS), the amounts of heavy metals were ascertained after the samples underwent conventional wet digestion. Typical concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr) in soil samples were between 0.2 and 90.0 mg/kg, 0.02 and 0.07 mg/kg, and 0.01 and 0.06 mg/kg, respectively. Comparison of these numbers with the control group's data made the pollution of these soils quite clear. While lead and cadmium were both below the detection limit in all samples, with less than 90.0 and 0.07 mg/kg, respectively, Cr was also below the limit. A pattern of increasing concentration for heavy metals was observed, with Pb>Cd>Cr. All the heavy metal values in the groundwater samples fell below the World Health Organization's drinking water threshold, except for Cd, which exceeded the limit in sample D. The temperature and pH ranges for groundwater were 23 to 29 °C, 7.79 to 8.28, 4.6 to 5.7 N.T.U., and 313 to 987 μs/cm, respectively, according to the results of the physicochemical parameters. Consequently, the study suggests moving the car market and implementing remediation strategies like phyto-remediation at coal camps, as well as enforcing other environmental protection legislation, to stop the buildup of toxic metals there..