Post Flood Analysis of Heavy Metal Level in River Benue along Makurdi Metropolis, Nigeria

River water was sampled across various segments of the River within Makurdi town to ascertain the anthropogenic contribution of heavy metal contents, a day after the torrential flood of 2012, and analysed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometric techniques. The mean concentration (mg/L) of the metals in sample sites were determined to be; Fe (0.46±0.1), Pb (0.03±0.01), Mn (0.002±0.002), Cr (0.02±0.01), Cd (0.001±0.001) and Zn (0.004±0.001). The results were compared with standards of WHO and EU recommended values for drinking water quality. It was found that Mn, Cr, Cd and Zn were below the WHO/EU limits while Fe and Pb were above recommended value. Statistical analysis shows that there is no significant difference observed for Fe, Mn, Cd and Zn between sites. However, Pb and Cr showed significant differences between sites. This shows that the metals are distributed at different points as a result of human activities, coupled with the impact of flood in their transport and solubility.