ASSESSING RESIDUAL HEAVY METALS PRESENCE IN REMEDIATED OIL SPILL SITES, AND ITS EFFECTS ON TELECOMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES

Abstract

Environmental pollution is one of major challenges affecting the performance of the telecommunication industry. This study assessed the remaining concentration of heavy metals (HMs) in an oil spill area that had undergone remediation efforts previously. Soil and plants samples sampled from different spatial locations within the contaminated area, and their cadmium “Cd” and lead “Pb” concentrations determined in accordance with ASTM guidelines. The results reflected that the petroleum pollution still have significant effect on the Cd and Pb content of the soil and vegetation (p ≤0.05). At spatial points A and B, the soil contained Cd at levels of 2.36 and 1.18 mg/kg, respectively. The elephant grass roots exhibited Cd contents of 4.58 and 4.45 mg/kg, respectively, while the Cd concentrations in the leaves were 3.94 and 3.45 mg/kg, respectively. Similarly, at Locations A and B, the soil showed Pb levels of 8.91 and 9.23 mg/kg, respectively; the elephant grass roots contained Pb concentrations of 14.06 and 14.08 mg/kg, respectively; while the Pb contents in the leaves were 9.41 and 10.33 mg/kg, respectively. The presence of heavy metals can caused electromagnetic interference which may disrupt telecommunication signals, potentially leading to disruptions in signals and degraded performance