Environmental impacts of crude oil mining in Niger delta.

Abstract

Oil exploration and exploitation has been on-going for several decades in the Niger Delta. Four soil samples were collected from agrarian and mining areas in the study area and analyzed. These samples were analyzed for its physicochemical parameters based on soil texture, pH, exchangeable acidity (EA), organic carbon (OC), organic matter, nitrogen (N), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), Effective Cations Exchangeable Capacity (ECEC) and base saturation (BS).  Based on the texture of all the soil samples, the soils are sandy loamy (SL), the pH values of the soils in Okoko are 6.39 and 6.51, and the pH values of soils collected at Warri are 6.44 and 6.49. The value of soil organic carbon was found to be 1.96 % and 2.79% in Koko while in Warri the organic carbon is 1.92% and 2.81% respectively. Organic matter contents in Warri ranged from 4.85 to 3.32%. The highest organic matter content in Koko soil sample is 4.81% while the lowest value is 3.39%. The ECEC values range from 9.6 to 10.71. The highest ECEC value was recorded by a soil sample from Koko area. Range of sodium was 0.139 to 0.157 mg/kg and potassium 0.189 to 0.246 mg/kg. Among the nutrients, available nitrogen was found to be 0.175 to 0.280%. Phosphorous was ranging from 40.9 to 61.6 mg/kg. Soil pH value ranged from 6.39 in Warri and 6.44 in Koko mining areas, the farm area in Warri was 6.51 and Koko farming area was 6.59. Soil pH is therefore rated slightly acidic to neutral in all the soils. Mining has disastrous impacts on the environment in the region and has adversely affected people inhabiting that region because the farm areas have more nutrients than the mining areas.