Carcinogenicity and Distribution of PCBs in Soil from Electrical Transformers Installation Sites in Uvwie Local Government Area, Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract: Most nations have outlawed the use of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a group of chemical substances that are classified as persistent organic pollutants (POP). They were mostly utilised in paint, retardants, plasticizers, lubricants, transformers, and capacitors. PCBs can be released into the atmosphere from primary and secondary sources. They are transported over great distances by the atmosphere, and as a result, have been found all over the world. PCBs were tested in soil near transformer installations at various sites in Uview local government area (LGA) in the metropolis of Warri, Delta state, Nigeria. The evaluation was done using three different Agilent 6975 GC-MS systems for both total PCBs and congeners. The soil samples were cleaned and concentrated by column chromatography utilising silica gel and hexane as the eluting solvent. The soil samples were extracted with 1:1 hexane-acetone in an ultrasonic bath. The Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) of the United States permits a maximum PCB concentration of 2.0 mg/kg, but the results show that all areas were polluted with PCBs below this limit, with the following values for Enerhen (1.146 ± 0.023), Ogbomoro (0.340 ± 0.28) and Ekpan (0.225 ± 0.320) in mg/kg. The total cancer risk calculated by adding the cancer risks from ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact in these particular locations corresponds to Enerhen (4.2×10⁻⁶), Ogbomoro (1.25×10⁻⁶), and Ekpan (8.26×10⁻⁷), and it was found that all of these locations have extremely low to low cancer risks compared to the value advised by the TSCA.

Keywords: Transformer, Warri, Carcinogenicity, PCBs, Soil, Uvwie.

Title: Carcinogenicity and Distribution of PCBs in Soil from Electrical Transformers Installation Sites in Uvwie Local Government Area, Delta State, Nigeria

Author: Ijenyo, E. F, Okoro D.

International Journal of Recent Research in Physics and Chemical Sciences (IJRRPCS)

ISSN 2350-1030

Vol. 10, Issue 1, April 2023 - September 2023

Page No: 41-51

Paper Publications

Website: www.paperpublications.org

Published Date: 16-September-2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8351618

Paper Download Link (Source)

https://www.paperpublications.org/upload/book/Carcinogenicity%20and%20Distribution-16092023-6.pdf