Effects of Bitumen Deposit on Soil Physico-Chemical Characteristics

Soils in the bitumen deposit area of Nigeria were analyzed for the physico-chemical characteristics and element contents to determine the level of contamination by the natural resource and to provide a framework for establishing relationships between the chemistry of mineral deposit and its host soils. The physico-chemical parameters were determined using standard analytical methods, while the elemental concentrations were determined by Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry technique. The results revealed that soils had higher concentrations of associated hydrocarbon formation elements than other Nigerian soils but lower than the sand and bitumen fractions of Nigerian bituminous sands, indicating contamination of the bitumen host soils by the mineral deposit. Strong positive correlations existed between some elements in the soils, suggesting common sources or chemical similarities. Positive correlations are shown by the results of the cross plot analysis, which establish relationships between the soils and the bitumen deposit, indicating that contamination of the soils could easily affect other components of the ecosystem, viz water and vegetation.