Evaluation of Levels of Some Organic Pollutants in Crude Oil Remediated Soils in Kwawa and Kpean Communities of Rivers State, Nigeria

The levels of Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in crude oil remediated soils in Khana LGA, Rivers State, in comparison with noncrude oil impacted soils which served as the control, was carried out in this study to ascertain the impact of the remediation exercise on soil quality. Eight composite soil samples from two different locations were randomly collected at 0 – 15cm and 15 – 30 cm depths using soil auger. The samples were air-dried, ground, sieved and analyzed using standard methods with GC-MS. The results showed TPH levels fell between 3.20876 and 17.51729 ppm at 0 – 15 cm depth and between 4.48214 and 7.03104 ppm at 15 – 30 cm depth. All the stations recorded TPH levels below the target and intervention limits. The total PAH levels at Stations 1 and 2 and the Control station were below the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) target and intervention values while Station 3 recorded total PAH level above the target value but below the intervention value. The results obtained revealed that the remediation exercise is efficient in restoring the soil quality. Therefore, the remediation work should be sustained.