CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of Study

Heavy metals may simply be referred to as a toxic heavy metals any relatively dense metal or metalloid that is noted for its potential toxicity, especially in environmental context. The term has particular application to cadmium, mercury, lead, iron, copper, zinc all of which appear in the W.H.O list of 10 chemicals of major public concern. These metals are toxic not to human beings alone, but to other organisms.

Soil is not only a medium for plants to grow or a pool of dispose of undesirable materials, but also a transmitter of many pollutants to surface water atmosphere and food. Therefore accumulated pollutants may threaten the human health not only on hygiene quality food, but also on drinking water.

In recent years, environmental problems such as heavy metals pollution have become important issues. Some heavy metals are necessary to support life, but other heavy metals form toxic chemical compounds and affect the ecosystem. Heavy metal in Ikpa River in Itu, the quality of life or earth is linked undeniably to the overall quality of the environment.

Pollutant of biosphere by heavy metals due to the industrial, agricultural and domestic activities has created a serious problem for safe and rational utilization of soils. Industrial input and agronomic application of fertilizers, pesticides and metal contaminated sewage continue to contribute the metal accumulation in the soil.

Physical, chemical and biological processes may combine under certain circumstances to concentrate metals rather than dilute them. Zn, Cd, Cr, Pb, Fe are listed in the environmental quality standard for soil and water pollution in Nigeria. These heavy metals have not only draw attention in terms of their listing as part of their environmental standards, but it has also been pointed out that there is some level of toxicity with regards to drinking water and aquatic life.

Ikpa River is one of the most important rivers in Akwa Ibom State, a lot of activities are going on around the coastal areas of this river like farming activities, fishing activities, removal of sands, mining activities, washing of vehicles, etc also channeling of drains into the river source. All of these activities contributed to the pollution of these water source. The river flows from Ikot Ekop (Ibiono) as the upstream through Ntak Inyang (Itu) as the mid stream and through Iba Oku Ikpa (Uyo) as the downstream and emptied itself at the Cross River Creek at Nwaniba.

 

1.2       Statement of Problems

The continuous bioaccumulation of heavy metal in our environment has greatly increases in recent times with increase population growth, technological development, farming activities, mining process and industrialization. The process is of much concern because heavy metal contributes a considerable hazard to human and its environment.

1.3       Objective of the Study

The objective of this study is to know the effect of heavy metal pollution in Ikpa River flowing through Calabar Itu High way and use the application of environmetrics also called Multivariate Statistical Technologies (MST) to ascertain the sources of heavy metals along the river basin. Five metals namely; Fe, Pb, Cr, Zn, Cd, were analyzed.

1.4       Scope of the Study

The scope of this research work covers the effect of heavy metals in Ikpa River in Itu. Also human, environmental and industrial actions obtained from three sample points in Ikpa River along Calabar Itu highway in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

1.5       Limitations

Usually, the river has many contaminated surrounding which makes this research work restricted to a specific area to represent the study area. The water sample will be picked from the flowing river from the middle of the river at each sample point.

1.6       Significance of the Study

The importance of this study is to identify the effect of heavy metals in Ikpa River in Itu, Akwa Ibom State. The major activity is to provide data and information on the level of physical effects and chemical effects of these heavy metals on human and aquatic organisms staying around the water source from the river for one activity to the other from the river. It also gives a summary of the level of these effects of heavy metals investigated in the randomly selected areas within the study area of the Ikpa River.