IMPACT OF ELEME PETROCHEMICALS COMPANY (INDORAMA) ON THE LEVELS OF SOME HEAVY METALS IN PENAUS MONODON (SHRIMP) FROM ELEME CREEKS, RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

The Eleme petrochemicals company is an olefin based multi- petrochemicals complex with liquid natural gas as its main feedstock, designed to produce a range of intermediate feed-stocks for various downstream process units. With the numerous wastes generated during the production processes, it is hoped that the metals contents of the rich creeks may have been affected which of course will reflect in the shrimp being the indicator species. Therefore, this study was carried out to verify the concentrations of the metals in the creeks (Using Shrimp) with particular reference to the impact of the petrochemicals company. Shrimp samples were collected from ten locations in the creeks after which they were dried, ground, digested and analysed for heavy metals using atomic absorption spectrophotometer model 200A. The mean and standard deviation in mg/kg of the various metal analyzed were as follows: Cd (0.0107+0.006), Cr (7.825+2.313), Pb (0.066+0.022), Fe (233.8+61.98), Zn (18.89+3.094), Ni (8.42+1.681), Mn (57.91+9.187), Cu (7.104+1.491). From the results, it was observed that the concentrations of the metals were high compared with the Eleme Petrochemicals Company EIA (1992) and the maximum permissible limits recommended by the World Health Organization except that of Cd. At the moment, the consumption of shrimp and other Biota from the creeks should be stopped forthwith and it is necessary that the Eleme petrochemicals company treat it waste water properly before discharge while the federal ministry of environment should undertake periodic audit of the company's generated waste.