PCB levels in soil at e-waste dumpsite, Alaba International market, Ojo, Lagos

Abstract

The improper dumping of materials containing polychlorinated biphenyls known as PCBs has caused many dangerous environmental and health effects. This is due to the environmental persistence, bioaccumulation and biomagnification in the terrestrial and aquatic food chains, to humans and other living organisms. This study was undertaken to determine the level of PCBs in the soil environment of Alaba International Market, Ojo in Lagos State of Nigeria. Samples of varying distances were collected from five e-waste dumpsites in the market. Extract from the samples were analyzed using a GC coupled with ECD detector. The results of the study show that the total amount of PCB congeners in the different sites ranged from 0.058mg/kg to 1.352 mg/kg with a mean concentration of 0.386mg/kg. Statistical test showed that there was no significant difference (P˃0.05) in sites 1, 2, 4 and 5. The concentration values of total PCBs were higher than the allowable limit of 0.050mg/kg in soil by the WHO. The result from this study has given an oversight function by human in the indiscriminate dumping of electronic waste in soil environment.

Keywords: PCBs, E-waste, dumpsite, GC/ECD, Alaba International Market, Statistical test.