Journal of
Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology

  • Abbreviation: J. Environ. Chem. Ecotoxicol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2141-226X
  • DOI: 10.5897/JECE
  • Start Year: 2009
  • Published Articles: 197

Full Length Research Paper

Determination of heavy metal contents in some industrial effluents from Ondo State, Nigeria

OGUNLEYE, Idowu Oluwatosin
  • OGUNLEYE, Idowu Oluwatosin
  • The International School, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
  • Google Scholar
IZUAGIE, Anthony A
  • IZUAGIE, Anthony A
  • Department of Chemistry, Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, Nigeria
  • Google Scholar


  •  Accepted: 30 July 2013
  •  Published: 31 August 2013

Abstract

 

Industrial effluents were collected from JOF Ideal Farm, Owo, an industry producing soya beans vegetable oil;  Stanmark Cocoa Processing Company, Ondo; King’s Cool, Ondo Plastic Industry Limited (OPIL), Akure; Benkaof Bottling Company, Akure and TISCO Company, Akure, producing disinfectants, dettols and methylated spirit. The effluents collected were kept in polyethylene bottles and labelled as E1, E2, E3, E4 and E5 respectively. Wet digestion of the samples was carried out using concentrated nitric acid. The heavy metal contents of the digests were read using Alpha-4 Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The results were analysed with correlation coefficient, ANOVA and compared with recommended standards of industrial effluents. The result of the analysis obtained showed that effluents from JOF Ideal Farm, Owo and Stanmark Cocoa Processing Company, Ondo had high concentration of nickel than the threshold (recommended) effluents value. Also, the concentration of mercury obtained for JOF Ideal Farm, Owo, Benkaof Bottling Company, Akure and TISCO Company, Akure are higher than the threshold values for mercury in waste water (effluents). Likewise, the concentrations for Arsenic in E1, E3 and E5 were higher than the threshold value for industrial effluents. The concentration of selenium obtained in E1, E2 and E3 were also above the threshold value. Therefore, the effluents generated from these industries are hazardous. Consequently, they could constitute to the level of pollution of both surface and ground water and pose a greater risk to both living and aquatic organisms in the study areas.

 

Key words: Industrial effluents, disinfectants, heavy metals, pollution, wet digestion.