Detection and Screening of Some Persistant Organic Pollutants (POPS) in Dogon Ruwa Community of Kaltungo Local Government Area of Gombe State, Nigeria

Abstract

“Persistent Organic Pollutants” (POPs) are chemical contaminants identified by a scientist at World War (II). These contaminants found their way into the environment as a result of human activities such as agriculture, industrialization, and transportation. They are persistent and can travel long-range in the atmosphere to regions where they have never been used or produced, posing serious health effects on humans, wildlife, and aquatic environments. This research has identified some of these pollutants in soil and water samples obtained from four different locations from a community within Kaltungo known as Dogon Ruwa. The samples were analyzed for the presence of these pesticides pollutants. QuECHERS method was adopted for the extraction and cleans up, and Gas Chromatography coupled with a mass selective detector known as Mass Spectrometer was used for detection. Pesticides of interest are Organochlorine (OC) and Organophosphate (OP). Thirteen Organochlorines pesticides (OCP) with their mean concentration in PPM were determined and the value for water given as; Aldrin 63.9ppm, Endrin 27.3025ppm, Endosulfan I 14.31ppm, Endosulfan II, 2.1ppm, Methoxychlor 9.5325ppm, Heptachlor 25.605ppm, Heptachlor epoxide 273.965ppm, Delta-lindane 13.7725ppm, Alpha lindane1446.8625ppm, Gmma-lindane 12.265ppm, P,P-DDE 22.475ppm, P,P-DDD13.2045ppm and P,P-DDT 5.4775ppm. The mean concentrations for soil are; Aldrin 40.1675ppm, EndosulfanI 188.384ppm, Endosulfan II 2.1125ppm, Methoxychlor 1.0125ppm, (Heptachlor 6.795ppm, Heptachlor epoxide 0.14ppm, Delta lindane1.614ppm, Alpha-lindane8.315ppm, Gmma-lindane 12.125ppm, P,P-DDE 3.4525ppm, P,P-DDD 0.485ppm, P,P-DDT 0.485ppm and Endrin 0.645ppm. Five Organophosphates (OP) with their mean concentrations for Water samples include Ethoprophos 0.8075ppm, Disulfan 0.02ppm, Ronnel 3.485ppm, Chlorpyrofos 2030.55ppm and Phosphorodithioic acid 1.8425ppm, and for Soil sample; Ethoprophos 0.2675ppm, Disulfoton 0.0075ppm, Ronnel 3.6575ppm, Chloropyrofos 3,154.9475ppm and Phosphorodithioic 0.7825ppm were detected from each of the samples analyzed.