EFFECTS OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON CONTAMINATION OF GROUNDWATER AROUND AUTOMOBILE WORK SHOPS IN CALABAR METROPOLIS, CROSS RIVER STATE
Abstract
Water samples were collected from five automobile workshops within Calabar metropolis and analyzed for
16 US Priority Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Results obtained revealed that the total
concentration ranged between 1.81 ng/l (Four miles (Fm; mean: 0.11±0.10) and 15.14 ng/l (Ekpo Iso (Ei;
mean: 0.95±3.20), with Ei having the highest concentration of PAHs and Fm having the least. In terms of
individual PAHs, Naph had the highest concentration of 38.57 ng/l while BghiP had the lowest total
concentration of 0.8 ng/l. This might be as a result of the level of activities carried out and the physicochemical
properties (porosity, pH and bulk density) of the study area. Total concentration of low molecular
weight (ΣLMW) and high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs were calculated to determine the ratio
ΣLMW/ΣHMW. Rations < 1 indicates PAHs from pyrogenic sources while ratios > 1 indicates PAHs from
petrogenic sources. Results obtained indicated that PAHs from Four miles (Fm) and Marian (Mn) were from
pyrogenic origin while those from Culvert (Cv), Essien town (Et) and Ei were of petrogenic origin.
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