DISTRIBUTION OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (PAHS AND BTEX) AND HEAVY METALS (PB, ZN, FE, CD) IN OIL IMPACTED SOILS, RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

The distributions of organic compounds (PAHs and BTEX) and heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Fe, Cd) concentrations in oil impacted soils of Rivers State, Nigeria were carried out. The concentrations of organic compounds ranged from 597.340±0.02 - 896.784±0.011 mg.Kg-1, total PAHs; 0.030±0.006 – 0.057±0.003 mg.Kg-1, BTEX and heavy metals ranged from 2.700±0.002 – 3.960±0.006 mg.Kg-1, Pb; 0.460±0.003 – 0.730±0.007 mg.Kg-1, Cd; 3.060±0.003 – 3.92±0.004 mg.Kg-1, Zn and 92.040±0.013 – 129.400±0.031 mg.Kg-1, Fe. Soil samples from Bonny had the highest total PAHs concentration (773.213±0.004 – 896.784±0.011 mg.Kg-1). The BTEX concentrations were of smaller values due to the time of crude oil spillage. Total PAHs concentrations increases as depth of the soil increases and distributions of the heavy metals in the various depths has no regular pattern.