Distribution Patterns of Some Heavy Metals in Stream Sediments in Ibadan, Nigeria

S. C. Ilabor¹, A. K. Asiagwu², P. E. Omuku³ And P. C. Onianwa⁴

¹Department of Chemistry, Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba, (Nigeria) ²Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry ^2,3Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, (Nigeria) ⁴Department of Chemistry, University of Ibadan2 (Nigeria)

The distribution patterns of some heavy metals in streams sediments in Ibadan Nigeria have been investigated. Stream sediment were collected from seven streams at 30 sampling sites within Ibadan metropolis. The sediment were subjected to speciation studies, through sequential extraction. The supernatant solutions and residual samples as well as the blanks obtained were analyzed for the metal contents using Buck 200A model AAs. The results obtained indicated largely for Pb, zn, Cu and Cd and implicated refuse dumping and urban run-off water transporting metals from land derived wastes as the sources of the enrichment to the streams. Ni, Co and Cr were identified as being of geochemical origin. There was no significant difference among Ni, Co, Cd and Cr mean concentration between the streams studied, indicating that they may likely be from the same source. Many of the metals showed significant correlation at P>0.05 levels.

Metal distributions; association; source in stream sediments Sequential extraction; metal fractionation