ECOLOGICAL RISK OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON DISTRIBUTION IN SEDIMENTS FROM GORONYO DAM, NORTHWESTERN NIGERIA
Keywords:
Goronyo, PAHs, Sediments, SeasonalAbstract
This study investigated the concentrations, sources, and ecological risks of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the sediments of Goronyo Dam, Nigeria, across five sampling stations during the rainy and dry seasons. Analysis was conducted via Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Total PAH concentrations were relatively low, ranging from 1.1 × 10-2 to 4.41 × 10-2 mg/kg, suggesting a sparse industrial footprint and predominantly agricultural land use. High-molecular-weight (HMW) congeners, such as benzo[k]fluoranthene (4.95 × 10-3 mg/kg), dominated the profiles, while low-molecular-weight (LMW) congeners like naphthalene were frequently below detection limits. Diagnostic ratios identified a predominantly pyrogenic signature, specifically biomass and domestic fuel combustion, which transitioned to a mixed-source profile during the rainy season due to increased surface runoff. Although the dry season exhibited higher localized concentrations (notably at S1 and S4), likely due to reduced dilution and evaporative concentration, independent t-tests and ANOVA revealed no significant spatial or temporal variations (p > 0.05). Ecological risk assessment using the mean effect range medium quotient (m-ERMQ) yielded values significantly below the 0.1 threshold (5.36 × 10-11 to 1.87 × 10-5), indicating a low probability (<12%) of adverse biological effects. These results establish a baseline for the dam, highlighting a current state of low-level contamination that requires routine monitoring to manage diffuse anthropogenic inputs.
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