Concentration of Metal Pollutants in River Kubanni, Zaria, Nigeria.

Abstract

The study focused on concentration of metal pollutants in River Kubanni Zaria, Nigeria. The main sources of data for the study were sediments from four different sampling locations along the long profile of the river.  The samples were prepared in the laboratory according to standard method and Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) was adopted in the analysis of the data using Nigeria Research Reactor – 1 (NIRR -1). 29 metal pollutants; Mg, Al, Ca,Ti, V, Mn, Dy,Na, K,As, Br, La, Sm, Yb, U, Sc, Cr, Zn, Fe, Co, Rb, Cs, Ba, Eu, Lu, Hf, Ta, Sb and Th were indentified in the river at various levels of concentration.  The result of the analysis showed that most of the metal contaminants in the river are routed to anthropogenic activities from the four different sections of the river, while few are routed to geologic formation in the catchment area. The presence of most of these metal pollutants in water may have severe health implication on the consumers because most metals are known to be carcinogenic to humans; therefore the study recommended that anthropogenic practices that produce these chemical elements in the catchment area be controlled.

Keywords: Anthropogenic activities, chemical elements, carcinogenic, geologic formation, Kubanni River, level of concentration, metals, pollutants.