Assessment into the Effectiveness of Remediation Exercise of Heavy Metals Contaminated Villages of Abare and Dareta in Zamfara State, Nigeria

Abstract

This work evaluated the heavy metals concentration in Abare and Dareta Villages of Anka Local Government of Zamfara State after remediation exercise. The mean concentration of these metals in rainy season is Cu ˃ Pb ˃Mn ˃ Cd ˃ Cr in both Abare and Dareta. While for dry season is Pb ˃ Cd ˃Cu ˃ Mn ˃ Cr in Abare and Pb ˃ Cu ˃Cd ˃ Mn ˃ Cr in Dareta. Seven samples out of ten samples collected from Abare during the dry season have lead concentration exceeding some European countries permissible value of 100mg/kg while only two samples shows Lead concentration exceeding that permissible value in rainy season. All the samples collected in both rainy and dry seasons have lead concentration below the United Kingdom (UK) and United State Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) guide limits. Six samples out of ten samples collected during the dry season from Dareta have Lead concentration exceeding the permissible value of 100mg/kg for some European countries while four samples shows lead concentration exceeding that permissible value in dry season. All the samples collected in both rainy and dry seasons have lead concentration below the United Kingdom (UK) and United State Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) guide limits. The concentration of chromium in both dry and rainy season is below the permissible values given by United Kingdom and some European countries. The overall result indicate that there is decrease in the concentration of most of the heavy metals analyzed from dry to rainy seasons in each of the remediated villages, which is largely attributed leaching processes and as well as reduction in the amount dust carried by the wind during rainy season, as such the concentration is expected to rise when the rain stop, due to the continuation of unsafe mining practice in the area.