ANALYSIS OF HEAVY METAL CONTAMINANT BY CRUDE OIL SPILLAGE IN IBELEBIRI OF OGBIA, BAYELSA STATE, NIGERIA.

Crude oil spillage in the Niger Delta region has led to significant environmental degradation and health concerns. This study investigated the levels of heavy metal contaminants (lead, cadmium, chromium, Iron, and Cobalt) in top-soil, sub-soil, and groundwater at Ibelebiri, Ogbia, Bayelsa State, where there are indices of crude oil spillage. Samples were collected from three locations A, B, and C with C as the control. Collected samples from these locations at the topsoil, sub-soil, and water were analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) and results were then compared using WHO standards. To further verify the contaminate level and pathway into groundwater, pollution indices such as the metal contaminate index (MI), heavy metal pollution index (HPI), and leach pollution index (LPI) were used. The results showed elevated concentrations of heavy metals, exceeding WHO guidelines. Lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) levels ranged from 0.24 mg/L to 0.01 mg/L, across all locations and sampled media. Chromium (Cr) and Cobalt (Co) levels ranged from 1.5 mg/L to 0.01 mg/L, across all locations and sampled media. Iron (Fe) consistently shows elevated concentrations across all locations, particularly in Location B, which reaches 69.52 mg/L. Calculated values of MI and HPI revealed that water and soil samples are in pure conditions for all locations since MI values < 1, and HPI <100 at 0.077-0.027 and 0.154-5.27, suggesting minimal metal contaminations. The LPI is seen to be higher than the leach standard with higher values ranging from 1194.65-1032.245, indicating severe contamination in both areas. In contrast, the control point shows a much lower LPI value 608.665 when compared with the standard. The findings indicate the potential for serious health risks and environmental degradation in the contaminated areas in Ibelebiri. It also emphasizes the need for monitoring and remediation efforts to prevent further contamination.