PATHFINDER RESEARCH GROUP FACULTY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES

PATHFINDER RESEARCH GROUP FACULTY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES

                     COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA ENUGU CAMPUS

 

TITLE:            ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METALS IN BOTH UNDERGROUND AND SURFACE WATER IN ENUGU, SOUTH EAST NIGERIA

 

Researchers/Investigators:     Dr. M. C. Ugonabo —- 08077839234

                                                           Dr. M. E. Ohanu ——– 08036465653

                                                           Prof. A.C.J. Ezeoke —– 08183162957

                                                            Dr. I. D. Osegbe ——— 08023446933

                                                          Dr. R. C. Duru   ———- 08038950148

PREAMBLE:

 

Water, is generally known to sustain life. This implicitly means that every living thing needs water to survive, as it plays a very important role in the maintenance of metabolic processes.

 

Water is known to be a universal solvent and as such contains so many dissolved elements. Among these elements are heavy metals, the presence of which have deleterious effect on living things including humans.

 

Metals have been recognized as toxins for centuries. For instance, arsenic poisoning was a favored way to dethrone royalty in the Renaissance era. In the 1950’s a tragic case of mercury poisoning was reported in the Minamata Bay of Japan where large quantities of industrial mercury was dumped into the bay. In 1971, mercury contamination of seed grains claimed the lives of some 6000 people in Iraq. In Northern part of Nigeria, a case of lead poisoning was recently reported.

 

 

                                                                                                                                                2.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE:

Because of the poisonous effects of these heavy metals namely, lead, Arsenic, mercury,  Aluminum, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, nickel etc as well as organophosphates, nitrates’ and nitrites’ it is pertinent to assess the levels of some of these analytes in various water sources in Enugu, a geographical zone laden with coal.

It is against this background that the investigators have embarked on this study to ascertain the safety or otherwise of water consumed in Enugu.

 

MATERIALS AND METHOD

            Water for analysis will be collected from pond wells, surface water, borehole, streams as well as sachet water (“pure water”) and the quantitation of the toxic metals will be by Atomic Absorption Spectometry (AAS).

 

Cost Implications

  1. EQUIPMENT   –                                                           

Perkins Elmer Atomic Absorption spectrophotometer (AAS)X2–                      

        And Accessories – – – – – – – — –        –           –           –           —     11M

 

  • Deionizer/Distiller –           —         —         –                       3M
  • Refrigerated centrifuge eppendorf/Hettich)-12 Juckets = 2.5M

__ UV-Spectrophotometer X 2            –           –           –           –                  2.7M

  • Ice making machine –                                      – 3.2M
  • Dewar flasks (COLD BOX) 10L – –           –           –           250,000.00

*Automatic micropipettors _variable volume (Autoclavable) 1-100ul X 3 = 150,000

 

 

B.— Generator ((30 KVA (Sound Proof)        –           –                                    2.5M

            Generator maintenance /fueling for 1 year –          –           –           2.0M

   Stipend for 5 Ancillary staff (–@ 200,000.00/month for one year= 2.4M

  1. TRANSPORT – –           –           –           –           –           –          

            Project Vehicle, TOYOTA HILUX VAN/TRUCK (AUTOMATIC) = 6.4M

             Vehicle maintenance/fueling for one year – – – – –            –           –           1.3M

 

Total Cost Estimate = N35.7M