Evaluation of Heavy Metal Concentrations in Drinking Waters from Poultry Sites, in Crude Oil Exploration Areas of Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the levels of Heavy Metal Concentration (HMC): Cadmium (Cd), Iron (Fe), Nickel (Ni), Vanadium (V) and Mercury (Hg), in drinking water across poultry farm locations, associated with crude oil exploration activities in Delta State, Nigeria. Drinking Water (DW) contamination due to heavy metals is a common occurrence in industrialized, oil exploration areas of Niger Delta and this poses a significant threat to animals and public health. Fifteen poultry sites were purposively selected based on the intensity of crude oil exploration and grouped into five zones: Urhobo, Isoko, Ijaw, Itsekiri, and Ukwani. Samples of DW were collected from three poultry sites in each zone and analyzed for HMC (ppm) and results compared with World Health Organization (WHO) standards. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA (α0.05). Vanadium (V), Cadmium (Cd), Iron (Fe), Nickel (Ni), and Mercury (Hg) concentrations (ppm) in DW ranged from 0.055 (Ukwani) to 29.189 (Itsekiri) V, 8.752 (Ijaw) to 15.682 (Urhobo) Cd, while Fe ranged from 577.10 (Ukwani) to 2002.20 (Isoko). Values of HMC were significantly (P<0.05) higher than the WHO tolerable limits of 0.34 (vanadium), 0.005 (cadmium), and 0.30 (iron) respectively. However, values of Nickel ranged from 0.003 (Ukwani) to 0.017 (Ijaw), while Hg ranged from 0.001 (Urhobo; Ijaw) to 0.030 (Itsekiri), these values were below the WHO recommended limits for water. Crude oil exploration in the Niger Delta, particularly in Delta State, have contributed to increased concentration of heavy metals in the environment, resulting in contamination of drinking water supplied in poultry farms thus, endangering the health of livestock being raised and quality of animal products from the region.