HEAVY METAL ASSESSMENT OF SOILS AROUND AN E­-WASTE DUMP SITE

This work investigated the magnitude of heavy metal contamination of soil in and around an unauthorized e-waste recycling and dumping site in Owerri Metropolis. Though unsafe and unorganized, the informal sector is still actively involved in dismantling, extracting and disposing of e-waste in certain places- on a considerably large scale. The 'leachate produced by these recycling units contains a large amount of heavy metals which are·likely to pollute the groundwater and soil adjoining the recycling sites. This study evaluates the e-waste contamination at such sites by monitoring the potential contaminants at a number of specific monitoring points in Nekede near Naze. The soil samples were tested for th presence of heqvy metals around e-waste recycling and dumping sites using;· atomic absorption spectrometry. The concentration of the metal$ ranged from -41.44mg/kg to 283.23mg/kg, with Cu recording the highest and Ni, the lowest. Others are Cr, 145.1Bmg/kg, Zn, 174.83mg/kg and Pb, 298.10mg/kg. The· standard values for agricultural soil in Britain was taken as the reference values for soil. The results show that. the soil in and around these sites have been · contaminated by lead, c pper and chromium to a large extent.