Determination of The Level of Some Selected Heavy Metals in Soil and Water Within the Vicinity of Gashaka Gumti-National Park, Taraba State, Nigeria

The main objective of this work is to evaluste the level of some selected heavy metals in soil and water around the vicinity of Mayo Kam, Mayo Dim, Kwano, Roadside steams, Mayo Gamgam, Gashaka village, and Gashska River of Gashaka Gumti-National Park of Taraba State, Nigeria. The samples of soil and water were analyzed using the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The results for the analysis for the soil and water samples revealed that the heavy metals found in the water samples were in the decreasing order of Fe>Zn>Cu>Ni>Cr>Cd>Pb. Cadmium, lead, iron in water samples were found to be above the permissible limit set by WHO. Also the result for the soil samples shows that all the heavy metals determined was found in the decreasing order of Fe>Zn>Cu> Ni>Cd>Cr>Pb. Generally the heavy metal concentration was higher in the soil than in water samples. From the results we draw a conclusion even reserved can be contaminated with heavy metals due some activities that go on at the selected studied location. Similarly the result indicate that the concentration of this heavy metals was that too high, though some locations had concentration beyond the permissible limit set by WHO. Therefore serious awareness need to be carried out to the villages living in the park on the effects of these metals to the environment, animal’s plants and human beings.

Keywords: Soil, Water, Heavy Metals, Gashaka Gumti-National Park, Nigeria.