Keywords
Gas Chromatography/ Mass Selective Detector
Persistent Organic Polutants
pesticides
Abstract
Nigeria's struggle to combat persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is severely hindered by inadequate monitoring. Despite the grave health risks posed by these toxic substances which can accumulate in the food chain and cause serious harm, monitoring efforts in Africa, particularly in West Africa, remain woefully insufficient. Furthermore, most West African countries are yet to implement the Stockholm Convention which is a critical framework for reducing and eliminating POPs, also known as the "dirty dozen" by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). In this study, soil samples were collected from waste dumpsites in Bwarak, Tambes, GRA, Daily market and Vel communities of Pankshin Metropolis in Plateau State and analyzed for Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), Organochlorine pesticides (OCP), and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). Gas Chromatography with Mass Selective Detector (GC/MSD) was used for the analysis. The results of the analysis shows that the concentration Organochlorine pesticides, 4,4'-DDT ranges from 0.0419 to 0.0457 mg/kg, Methoxychlor, ranges from 0.0468 to 0.0501 mg/kg while that of Heptachlor, ranges from 0.0299 to 0.0306 mg/kg. Furthermore, that of 4,4'-DDE ranges from 0.0001 to 0.0012 mg/kg while the concentration of Endosulfan sulfate vary from 0.0001 to 0.0003 mg/kg. The concentrations of the PAHs range from 0.0144 to 0.0364 mg/kg. Most of the analyzed PCB congeners (PCB1, PCB5, PCB18) have concentrations below the detection limit (0.0000 mg/kg) across all locations whereas PCB101, PCB110, PCB138, PCB141, PCB151, PCB153, and PCB187 are detected in some locations with concentrations ranging from 0.0003 to 0.0016 mg/kg. The results of this study demonstrates the presence of POPs in the study area with varying levels of contamination, hence the need for environmental monitoring and remediation efforts as well as improved waste management practices in Nigeria, to reduce the impacts of the POPs.
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