Pedogeochemical assessment of wetland soils in Hadejia- Jama’are river basin in the Nigerian Sahel savanna

Abstract

Understanding the pedo-geochemical assessment of wetland soils in the Hadejia/Jama`are river basin in the Sahel savannah of Nigeria is paramount for efficiently planning the long-term sustainable use of the wetlands and is paramount for reliably estimating soil contamination. Namely, five (5) different wetland sites were selected; Masama 1 and 2, Sinamu 1 and 2, and Tandanu while one from the Drylands of Tandanu. A pit was excavated to a depth of 1.5 m at each site, except where there is an elevated water table or impenetrable stratum, and soil samples were collected from three identifiable horizons (Bt2, Bt1, and Ap, respectively). The results of principal component and cluster analysis showed that total and labile Pb, total Zn, and labile Cr were considered the most influential heavy elements for identifying pedogenic and sedimentological processes in the wetlands of the study area. It also showed that Pb, Zn, and Cr came from the same source in all soils examined. Therefore, we concluded that the soils in all the wetlands studied are at high risk of toxic effects from Pb and Zn contamination. It is strongly recommended that heavy metals be decontaminated at all surveyed sites before further use for agricultural purposes.

Keywords

• pedogeochemical assessment
• wetland soils
• hadejia-jama’are river basin
• sahel savannah
• nigeria