Heavy metal characteristics of groundwater in Ibadan South Western, Nigeria

Water, an essential commodity is consequently being affected by natural and human activities. Investigations were made on groundwater of the study area to evaluate the impact of heavy metals. Groundwater samples were collected and analyzed using Inductively coupled plasma- emission spectrometry method, at Acme laboratories Canada. Geochemical analysis revealed a significant concentration of increasing order K > Ca > Mg > Fe > Zn > Cu > Pb > As > Cd. Ca, Fe and K were above the WHO standard. Index of geo-accumulation (Igeo), revealed no contamination of the trace metals. Inter-elemental analysis showed a strong correlation between Cd to Zn (‘r’- 0.983) and Fe to Pb (‘r’- 0.900), indicating that the metals are governed by the same geochemical factors and are from the same anthropogenic source. Piezometric map revealed southwest direction of groundwater flow that shows direction of contamination influx. The study can then be concluded to be contaminated with Ca, Fe and K due to the impact of man’s activities in the environment. Public health effect of these metals could be anemia, kidney damage, brain damage, cancer and ultimately death.Key words: Water, contamination degree, geochemical factors, public health, heavy metal

Editorial: Charting achievements: a two-year retrospective of the society for environmental geochemistry and health (SEGH) and the evolving strategies

Emerging from the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is time to ground ourselves and retrospectively assess the recent achievements of SEGH over the past years. This editorial serves as a comprehensive report on the progress made in comparison to the aspirations and goals set by the society's board in 2019 (Watts et al., Environ Geochem Health 42:343-347, 2019) (Fig. 1) and reflects on the state of the SEGH community as it reached its 50th anniversary at the close of 2021 (Watts et al. Environ Geochem Health 45:1165-1171, 2023). The focus lies on how the SEGH community navigated through the extraordinary challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic since early 2020, and to what extent the 2023 targets have been met