Preliminary Health Risk Assessment in Relation to Some Trace Elements in Ogunpa River, South-Western Nigeria

Abstract

Ogunpa River receives municipal and industrial waste discharge from its catchments and these have depleted the quality of the water.  Hence, this research examines the preliminary environmental impacts and health implications of some trace elements in the water using  Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) laboratory technique. Average values of Al, Ba, Fe, Mn, Ni and Pb are above the  recommended limits of WHO. The CF showed that the trace elements varied from considerable contamination factor to very high  contamination factor and the degree of contamination varied from 1023 to 11640. The hazard quotient computed for the adults is  generally less than unity except Pb that has average value of 1.27. In children, the computed hazard quotient on the average ranges from  0.000572 to 4.04. Al, As, Ba, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn and Cd have their average values less than unity respectively, while Fe, Mn and Pb has  their average values greater than one. The Hazard Index (HI) in adults and children are greater than one. Carcinogenic risk assessment was computed for Cr, Pb and Cd which was greater than 10^-6 in children and adult. Only Cd in adult was less than the prescribed limit of  10^-6 . Effort should be made to checkmate indiscriminate dumping of refuse and sewages into the water body as these could serve as  pollutants to other adjourning rivers and main water bodies. In conclusion, the water is not fit for domestic, agricultural and probably  industrial uses because of its health implications on consumption.