Assessment of Potential Human Health Risks Around Tukwikwi Artisanal Potash Extraction Site River Hadejia Flood Plains, Jigawa, Nigeria

Abstract

This study quantified the concentrations of trace and heavy elements, including Al, K, Ca, Mg, Zr, Ti, La, Ce, Mn, Cr, Zn, and Nd, in soil samples from Tukwikwi. It also assesses the potential human health risks posed by exposure to these metals through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal absorption for both children and adults. The study area lies in Hadejia flood plain between latitudes 12°10′ N to 13°0′ N and longitudes 10°15′ E to 11°30′ E. The result showed that the mean concentrations of Al (47,140 mg/kg), K (23,110 mg/kg), Fe (18,020 mg/kg), Mg (7810 mg/kg), Zr (404 mg/kg), and La (64 mg/kg) exceeded the crustal values of Al (25,000 mg/kg), K (10,700 mg/kg), Fe (9800 mg/kg), Mg (7000 mg/kg), Zr (220 mg/kg), and La (30 mg/kg). By contrast, the concentrations of Ca, Cr, Ce, Mn, Ti, Zn, and Nd were lower than the crustal values. These crustal values were used, as there were no regional values that could be used for comparison. The result of the noncarcinogenic health risk assessment showed that Al exhibited the highest value ranging from $5.52\times {10}^{-1}$ to $7.51\times {10}^{-1}$ for children and $7.3\times {10}^{-1}$ to $9.9\times {10}^{-1}$ for adults. The results also revealed that adults have a higher potential risk than children. The results for the carcinogenic risk (CR) showed that the total CR (TCR) values for Cr ranged from 0 to $3.20\times {10}^{-4}$ for children and 0 to $4.29\times {10}^{-4}$ for adults, which are higher than the acceptable limit of $1\times {10}^{-4}$. These suggest that there are health concerns for adults and children in the research area. This necessitates the need for monitoring the soil in the study area to reduce potential environmental issues.