Petroleum Hydrocarbon Pollution in Bonny Creek Six Months After the Oil Spill from The Fusokiri-6 Manifold in the Niger Delta
Benson Somadina Onuigbo
World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence for Oilfield Chemicals Research, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, PMB 5323, Port Harcourt, Nigeria and Petroleum & Environmental Chemistry Research Group, Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, University of Port Harcourt, East-West Road, Choba, PMB 5323, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Leo C. Osuji
World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence for Oilfield Chemicals Research, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, PMB 5323, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, Petroleum & Environmental Chemistry Research Group, Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, University of Port Harcourt, East-West Road, Choba, PMB 5323, Port Harcourt, Nigeria and Institute of Natural Resources, Environment and Sustainable Development (INRES), University of Port Harcourt, Choba, PMB 5323, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Mudiaga C. Onojake *
World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence for Oilfield Chemicals Research, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, PMB 5323, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, Petroleum & Environmental Chemistry Research Group, Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, University of Port Harcourt, East-West Road, Choba, PMB 5323, Port Harcourt, Nigeria and Institute of Natural Resources, Environment and Sustainable Development (INRES), University of Port Harcourt, Choba, PMB 5323, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The distribution of petroleum hydrocarbon (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon, PAH and Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon) was investigated at the Bonny Creek six months after the Fusokiri-6 manifold oil spillage in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. PAHs reported for the study are the parental PAHs with rings ranging from 2-6. For the surface water and sediment of Fibiri Creek and NLNG-SPDC site, the total PAHs was <0.01. The PAHs of Iwoama Creek is dominated by Phenanthrene (3-Rings) for both surface water and sediment while the Legakiri Creek PAHs is dominated by Anthracene (3-Rings) in surface water and Phenanthrene (3-Rings) in sediment. The TPH of the range of C8-C40 as well as PAHs were found in all sampled locations. Results indicated that all locations were dominated 1-4-Alkylated-PAH of low molecular weight (2-3 Rings). Oiling was still evident on the water body as observed by the intense discolouration observed during the field reconnaissance survey of the spilled site and evident by the concentrations of TPH and PAHs.
Keywords: Petroleum hydrocarbon, bonny creek, Niger delta, Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH), Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH), oil spill