APPLICATION OF POLLUTION INDICES FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METALS POLLUTION IN SOILS AROUND ABANDONED ONYEAMA COAL MINE, SOUTHEASTERN, NIGERIA

The primary aim of this study is to indicate the seasonal variations of heavy metals in the soil within the Abandoned Onyeama Coal Mine. To examine the extent of heavy metals pollution, 45 soil samples were collected from different locations inside and outside Abandoned Onyeama Coal Mine during the rainy and dry seasons for one year. The level of toxic metals viz., Pb, Cu, Mn, Zn, Cd, Fe and Cr were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Majority of the samples were below the standard limit except for Pb concentration during the dry season at four sampling sites which is higher than acceptable limit as per World Health Organization/Food and Agricultural Organization. The results obtained were used to compute the index of geo-accumulation (Igeo) and contamination factor (CF) for the soil. The average values of Igeo were 0.007 during rainy season and -0.35 during dry season while CF were 1.31 in the rainy season and 1.69 in the dry season. These values are lower than the risk index limit of 100, showing that the chemistry of collected soil samples are not critically polluting the environment.