TITLE:
Assessment of Heavy Metals Contamination in Sediments of the Vridi Canal (Côte d’Ivoire)
AUTHORS:
Kouakou Adjoumani Rodrigue, Benjamin Yao, Albert Trokourey, Adouby Kopoin
KEYWORDS:
Heavy Metals, Vridi Canal, Contamination
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.4 No.10,
October
26,
2016
ABSTRACT: The
concentrations of cadmium, copper, lead and zinc in sediment samples from the
Vridi Canal (Harbour area of economic capital of Cote d’Ivoire) were determined
to evaluate the level of contamination. All metal concentrations in sediment
samples, except Cu, were greater than the concentration of Upper Continental
Crust (UCC). Sediment pollution assessment was undertaken by using Enrichment
Factor (EF), geoaccumulation index (Igeo)
and Pollution Load Index (PLI). The enrichment factor (Cd: EF = 20.04; Pb: EF =
3.43; Zn: EF = 1.56) and géoaccumulation index (Cd: Igeo = 4.29; Pb: Igeo = 1.81) showed that the
sediments were polluted. The Pollution Load Index (PLI > 1) indicated that
the sediments of the studied area were heavily contaminated. Based on the comparison with
sediment quality guidelines, the concentrations of cadmium, lead and zinc would
be toxic to one or more species of aquatic organisms living in the sediments.