Heavy metal Concentrations in Drinking water sources of oil and non-oil producing communities in Rivers State

Background: Chronic low-dose, multiple exposures to heavy metals are a huge public health problem in heavily polluted environments.

Objectives: This study aimed at comparing the heavy metal concentrations in drinking water sources of oil and non-oil-producing communities in Rivers State.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional, comparative study conducted on water samples collected from 14 randomly selected water sources from the two communities. Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. T-test was used to compare the mean differences between the heavy metal concentrations of the drinking water sources in the two communities.

Results: Mean lead concentrations of the drinking water sources of both communities exceeded the WHO permissible limits. Mean arsenic concentrations of the drinking water sources in the oil-producing community were higher than that of the non-oil-producing community.( P >0.05)  Mean concentrations of mercury were significantly higher in the oil-producing than in the non-oil-producing communities. (p-value = 0.005).

Conclusions: Heavy metal contamination of drinking water sources in oil and gas-producing communities in Nigeria is a potential human health disaster. This calls for r consistent environmental monitoring of the environmental parameters of oil-producing and adjourning communities for clean-up interventions by all concerned stakeholders.