Impacts of Indiscriminate Disposal of Spent Lubes, Epe Automobile Workshops

Abstract

The non-existence of herbs and grasses in affected areas of the mechanic workshop due to spent lubricating oil contamination was investigated. Soil and water samples from the environment were analyzed for the presence of Copper (Cu) and Lead (Pb) with the view to investigate the extent of percolations and consequential effects on the surrounding water bodies. Soil samples from affected patches were also analyzed to ascertain their sources in comparison with virgin oil samples content. The concentrations of Copper (Cu) and Lead (Pb) recorded at the topsoil were 2049.64 ppm and 153.22 ppm, respectively, both of which were higher than recorded values in virgin lube oil. The concentration of Copper was 0.63 mg/l in well water and 0.36 mg/l in the borehole. Lead evaluated was 0.13 mg/l in well water and 0.04 mg/l in the borehole. However, at depths from 25 to 100 feet into the soil, the concentration profiles of Copper and Lead reduced drastically to 59.98 ppm and 342.35 mg/l, respectively. The rate of metallic distribution on contaminated soils depends on the metal species and its reactive status. The gradient of percolation of Lead (Pb) and Copper (Cu) differs such that Copper reduction was consistently linear with a regression (R²) of 0.9377, while Lead exhibited a quadratic decline. It is anticipated that the heavy metals in the spent oil percolate into the soil as leachates and may reach underground water, leading to pollution mainly by runoff rather than percolation, which may take years.