Department of Chemical Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Redeemer's University, km 46 Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Redemption City, Mowe, Ogun State, Nigeria; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
Agunbiade, F.O., Department of Chemical Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Redeemer's University, km 46 Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Redemption City, Mowe, Ogun State, Nigeria; Awe, A.A., Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria; Adebowale, K.O., Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
Industrial growth is being attributed with adverse environmental effects and has necessitated stricter environmental management policies. Formulating such policies is limited by the difficulty in understanding the trends of monitoring data. This study is aimed at the application of fuzzy comprehensive assessment (FCA) to integrate environmental contaminants in Agbara industrial estate, Nigeria, to measure the extent of impact of industrial activities on the host community. Samples of water, plants (Pteridium aquilinum, Sacciolepis africana, and Panicum maximum), soil, and sediments were collected within the estate. Water samples were analyzed for quality parameters using standard methods. Metals (Co, Cr, Cd, Cu, and Mn) were investigated in all the samples using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The data were modeled with FCA. The results showed Cr as the major contaminant (34-252 μgL -1). High phosphate contributed to large plant growth in the area. FCA results showed that water samples were in the pristine classification; sediment samples were extremely impacted. The vegetation growth and the sediment precipitation were responsible for the cleaning-up of the pollutants discharged downstream. The FCA of the plants indicated high metal bioaccumulation and not only showed the plants' phyto-remediation potential but also that the metals may pose threats to human health through the food web. The activities in the estate are contributing contaminants to the environment with potential negative effects. © 2011 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.
Atomic absorption spectrophotometer; Biomonitoring; environment; Environmental contaminant; Food webs; Fuzzy comprehensive assessment; Human health; Industrial activities; Industrial estate; Industrial growth; Large plants; Logic-based modeling; Metal bioaccumulation; Nigeria; Panicum maximum; Potential negative effects; Quality parameters; Sediment samples; Standard method; Vegetation growth; Water samples; Anoxic sediments; Cadmium; Chromium; Environmental management; Fuzzy logic; Health; Health risks; Impurities; Industry; Manganese; Models; Sedimentology; Plant life extension; biomonitoring; environmental fate; environmental impact assessment; environmental management; food web; fuzzy mathematics; health risk; industrial practice; phytotoxicity; public health; sediment pollution; soil pollution; water pollution; Nigeria; Panicum; Panicum maximum; Pteridium aquilinum; Sacciolepis