article · Direct Research Journal of Agriculture and Food Science
An environmental assessment evaluated soil quality near oil flow stations in Obama, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, across wet and dry seasons between 2022 and 2023. Soil samples taken at depths of 0 to 15 centimetres and 15 to 30 centimetres showed no significant physical differences in colour, texture, or permeability when compared to unexposed control soils. Porosity decreased with depth across both seasons. Soil acidity was pronounced, presenting as strongly acidic in the wet season and shifting from strongly to moderately acidic in the dry season. Surface soil measures of oxidation-reduction potential, total petroleum hydrocarbons, and total organic carbon varied by location and season. Concentrations of volatile hydrocarbons, specifically benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene, remained consistently low below 0.001 milligrams per kilogram. The findings indicate the surveyed soils are not currently contaminated, though ongoing environmental monitoring is recommended.
Assessing soil health around petroleum infrastructure provides critical baseline data on environmental quality and safety. Tracking parameters such as acidity, hydrocarbon levels, and organic carbon helps communities, environmental managers, and operators verify whether active facilities are polluting surrounding ecosystems. Confirming low pollutant levels supports local land use and highlights the necessity of systematic monitoring to identify emerging contamination early.
This field assessment provides baseline environmental data rather than a commercial product or technology. It can inform monitoring programmes and regulatory compliance protocols for oil operators, environmental consultancy firms, and regional regulators. As an applied observational study, it functions as a practical benchmark for local environmental management rather than a scalable commercial tool, remaining distant from standard commercial pathways.
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Soil is a living natural system whose healthy condition is essential for both economic and environmental sustainability.Therefore, this study evaluated soil quality parameters of some crude oil exposed soils in Obama oil flow stations in Bayelsa State, Nigeria, between 2022 and 2023.Thirteen (13) soil samples were collected each at two depths (0 -15 cm and 15 -30 cm) across wet and dry seasons, alongside control samples away from the stations.Physical observations indicated no marked differences in colour, texture, or permeability between exposed and control soils.Porosity declined with depth in both seasons.Soil pH remained strongly acidic during the wet season, but ranged from strongly acidic to moderately acidic in the dry season.Oxidationreduction potential (ORP), total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), and total organic carbon in top-soils varied across sites and seasons.Concentration of benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene (BTEX) were consistently low, generally < 0.001 mg kg -1 .Cation exchange capacity was very low in surface soils with slightly higher values in the dry season.Among anions, carbonate predominated across depths and seasons.Overall, results suggest that soils in the study area are not currently contaminated; however, periodic environmental monitoring remains essential to prevent the accumulation of hydrocarbons or other pollutants.
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DOI: 10.26765/drjafs370375933
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