EVALUATION OF HEAVY METAL CONTENT IN SOIL AND SURFACE WATER AROUND E-WASTE BURNING SITES IN LAGOS STATE
Abstract
This study evaluated the heavy-metal contamination in soils and surface water at three informal e-waste burning sites in Lagos State: Alaba International Market, Ikeja Computer Village, and Abule-Egba scrapyard. The study objective was to evaluate the heavy metal pollution indices of soil and water and. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Soil samples were collected at two depths (0–15 cm and 15–30 cm), while surface-water samples were taken from nearby drainage channels. The heavy metal concentrations (Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn, and Ni) were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. Pollution indices (CF, PLI, NPI, WQI) and ANOVA was applied to interpret the results. The soils at the three sites were strongly acidic compared with the control soil, showing the long-term effect of e-waste burning and dismantling. Heavy-metal concentrations were extremely high in the surface soils, with lead reaching 432 mg/kg at Alaba, and remained elevated in deeper layers, indicating downward movement over time. Water samples also exceeded WHO limits, and the Water Quality Index rated the sites as poor to very poor. A notable finding was the unusually high zinc level at Abule-Egba, showing that even small scrapyards can become serious contamination hotspots. Overall, the study provides a clearer understanding of how heavy-metal pollution develops and spreads at informal e-waste sites and highlights the need for stricter controls, safer recycling practices, improved testing, and continuous monitoring to reduce long-term environmental risks.
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