Determination of heavy metals in some selected waste dumpsites in Gboko Metropolis, Benue State, Nigeria

Heavy metals were determined from waste dumpsites in Gboko metropolis, Benue state, Nigeria. The mean pH values of the soil samples were found to be 7.70 and 7.15 for Gboko North and South respectively. The analysis of heavy metals indicate that samples from Gboko North show mean concentrations (mg/kg) of heavy metals as; Pb (0.966), Ni (0.514), Cd (0.298), Al (0.223), Cr (0.092), As (0.051). Samples from Gboko South indicate mean levels of heavy metals as follows; (1.300mg/kg), (0.377 mg/kg), (0.191mg/kg), (0.009mg/kg), (0.18mg/kg), (0.042mg /kg) for Pb, Al, Cr, Ni, As, and Cd respectively. In Nutshell, Ni, and Cd were found to be relatively higher in Gboko north than Gboko south. On the other hand, the levels of Pb, Cr, Al, and As were higher in Gboko South than Gboko North. All the heavy Metals were within the WHO acceptable limits except Cd and Cr which were slightly above these limits in some dumpsites. Although Heavy metal concentration in refuse dumpsites of Gboko metropolis may not appear to pose a very serious environmental problem at the moment, continuous accumulation of these metals in Gboko metropolis may result into some health threat to human and the environment in future.