The impact of tailing waste from quarry operations on the soil and vegetation in Akamkpa Local Government Area, Cross River State were investigated. The selected sampling areas (0 km, 0.75 km and 2 km or control) were delineated based on the intensity of exposure to tailings and distance from the quarry Samples of the extracted material (chippings) was analyzed to ascertain the chemical composition. Samples of the soil (0-5 cm), fodder species Alchornea cordifolia and Aspilia africana, edible fruit Carica papaya and Mangifera indica as well as root and tuber species Manihot esculenta and Colocasia esculenta were collected separately from each of the sampling area and analyzed for chemical characteristics. From the rock material, the concentrations of Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe, Cd, Ni, Cr and Mn in quarried materials (Chippings) were 9.28, 1.88, 10.64, 349.50, 2.06, 3.22, 1.12, and 2.44 (mg/kg) respectively. Quarry activities in Akamkpa affected the levels of Pb, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Ni and Cd in the soil as these element had significantly higher concentrations in the soils collected from the immediate vicinity of the quarry (0 km). Also the concentrations of the metals in the plants leaves within the quarrying site were significantly higher (P<0.01) than that of the control (2 km). The concentrations of Zn, Cu and Ni in leaves of Mangifera indica collected from the farthest sampling position from the quarry were lower by 81%, 63.04% and 51.93% respectively than that collected from immediate vicinity of the quarry site. Quarry operation is causing increasing building of trace metals in the soils and vegetation in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross river State. Thus, the operations of the quarry industry need to be regulated to reduce the health risk the practice poses to the local populace.
cadmium; cassava; chemical composition; chromium; copper; environmental impact; heavy metals; iron; lead; leaves; manganese; mangoes; mine tailings; mining; nickel; pawpaws; plant composition; polluted soils; quarries; soil composition; soil pollution; soil types; zinc; Nigeria; Alchornea cordifolia; Asteraceae; Carica; Carica papaya; Colocasia esculenta; Mangifera indica; Manihot esculenta; Alchornea; Euphorbiaceae; Euphorbiales; dicotyledons; angiosperms; Spermatophyta; plants; eukaryotes; Asterales; Caricaceae; Violales; Colocasia; Araceae; Arales; monocotyledons; Mangifera; Anacardiaceae; Sapindales; Manihot; West Africa; Africa South of Sahara; Africa; Developing Countries; ACP Countries; Commonwealth of Nations; Anglophone Africa; Aspilia; Aspilia africana; chemical constituents of plants; environmental effects; manioc; Mn; papayas; tapioca plant; Horticultural Crops (FF003) (New March 2000); Forage and Fodder Crops (FF007) (New March 2000); Plant Composition (FF040); Soil Chemistry and Mineralogy (JJ200); Pollution and Degradation (PP600); Industrial Wastes and Effluents (XX400)