Occurrence and spatial distribution of heavy metals in landfill leachates and impacted freshwater ecosystem: An environmental and human health threat

• Published in: PloS one 2022-02, Vol.17 (2), p.e0263279
• Main Authors: Essien, Joseph P, Ikpe, Donald I, Inam, Edu D, Okon, Aniefiokmkpong O, Ebong, Godwin A, Benson, Nsikak U
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adults; Aquatic ecosystems; Bioaccumulation; Biodegradation; Biology and Life Sciences; Biota; Cadmium; Carcinogenicity; Carcinogens; Chemical compounds; Chemical contaminants; Chemical pollution; Chemistry; Children; Cluster Analysis; Contaminants; Contamination; Decomposition; Developing countries; Distribution; Dry season; Earth Sciences; Ecological risk assessment; Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Ecosystem; Environmental aspects; Environmental effects; Environmental Exposure; Environmental health; Environmental impact; Environmental indicators; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental Pollutants; Exposure; Fresh Water; Freshwater ecosystems; Geologic Sediments; Geospatial data; Groundwater; Hazardous materials; Hazardous substances; Health risk assessment; Health risks; Heavy metals; Humans; Ingestion; Landfill; Landfills; LDCs; Leachates; Medicine and Health Sciences; Metals, Heavy; Methods; Microorganisms; Municipal landfills; Municipal solid waste; Nigeria; Physical Sciences; Pollution; Pollution index; Pollution indicators; Pollution load; Pollution monitoring; Principal Component Analysis; Public health; Rainy season; Refuse and refuse disposal; Risk; Risk Assessment; Sanitary landfills; Sediment pollution; Sediment samplers; Sediments; Soil; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Spatial distribution; Surface water; Waste Disposal Facilities; Water; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263279

Municipal landfill leachates are a source of toxic heavy metals that have been shown to have a detrimental effect on human health and the environment. This study aimed to assess heavy metal contamination in leachates, surface water, and sediments from non-sanitary landfills in Uyo, Nigeria, and to identify potential health and environmental effects of leachate contamination. Over the wet and dry seasons, surface water and sediment samples were collected from an impacted freshwater ecosystem, and leachates samples from six monitoring wells. Elemental analyses of samples were conducted following standard analytical procedures and methods. The results indicated that leachate, surface water, and sediment samples all had elevated levels of heavy metals, implying a significant impact from landfills. Pollution indices such as the potential ecological risk index (PERI), pollution load index (PLI), degree of contamination (Cd), modified degree of contamination (mCd), enrichment factor (EF), geoaccumulation index (Igeo), and Nemerov pollution index (NPI) were used to assess the ecological impacts of landfill leachates. The following values were derived: PERI (29.09), PLI (1.96E-07), Cd (0.13), mCd (0.16), EF (0.97-1.79E-03), Igeo (0), and NPI (0.74). Pollution indicators suggested that the sediment samples were low to moderately polluted by chemical contaminants from the non-sanitary landfills, and may pose negative risks due to bioaccumulation. Human health risks were also assessed using standard risk models. For adults, children, and kids, the incremental lifetime cancer rate (ILCR) values were within the acceptable range of 1.00E-06-1.00E-04. The lifetime carcinogenicity risks associated with oral ingestion exposure to heavy metals were 9.09E-05, 1.21E-05, and 3.60 E-05 for kids, adults, and children, respectively. The mean cumulative risk values for dermal exposures were 3.24E-07, 1.89E-06, and 1.17E-05 for adults, children, and kids, respectively. These findings emphasized the risks of human and biota exposure to contaminants from landfills.