Occurrence of BTEX from petroleum hydrocarbons in surface water, sediment, and biota from Ubeji Creek of Delta State, Nigeria

Petroleum exploration and production activities pose great threat worldwide in the marine environment with numerous occurrences of spills every year. Ubeji Creek in Nigeria suffers environmental pollution attributable to petroleum exploration. The hydrocarbons in petroleum encompass a large number of toxicants such as BTEX, which are frequently discharged into water bodies during spillage. In terms of scope, this study assessed for the first time BTEX levels in surface water, sediment, and biota of the Ubeji Creek. Environmental samples were collected at designated sampling locations along the Ubeji Creek quarterly for 2 years. Water quality was determined in situ, while BTEX levels in water, sediment, and biota were assessed in the laboratory using GC-FID. The physico-chemical characteristics of water were within the acceptable WHO limits with the exception of DO of 3.01 +/- 0.25 mg/L. Organic pollution load could have contributed to the depression of DO level below the limit. BTEX of 5.57 +/- 0.62 mg/kg in sediment samples was higher than the level in control sample. The BTEX levels in fish, shrimps, pawpaw fruit, pineapple tissue, bitter leaf, and cassava were 0.37 +/- 0.05, 0.39 +/- 0.01, 0.56 +/- 0.02, 1.35 +/- 0.04, 0.46 +/- 0.06, and 0.22 +/- 0.01 mg/kg, respectively. Accumulation of BTEX in this biota can affect their nutritive quality and consequently pose threat to humans who daily consume them.