Determination of Heavy Metals of Road Deposited Sediment in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria Using XRF Technique

Abstract

In this work x-ray fluorescence(XRF) technology was used to evaluate the soil pollution with heavy metals (K, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zr) in rain run-off deposited metal sediment of road side soil in Ado Ekiti, Nigeria. The investigated sediment of road side was collected in open places along the road at different districts in Ado Ekiti. XRF was carried out at the laboratory of Obafemi Awolowo University centre for energy research using handheld thermo scientific energy-dispersive XRF analyzer. The experimental result indicate that the concentration of heavy elements in Adebayo road is the highest level detected while the road at new Iyin road is lowest and they are greater than the level detected in a control soil collected from a zone situated far from the road. For the majority of metals, pronounced maximum, concentrations were detected in the site. Anthropogenic releases give rise to highest concentrations of the metals relative to the normal background values and in some locations their levels exceed the alert level admitted by the Nigeria guideline.

DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2013.v2n12p61