Python Aided Visualizations of the Phthalate Acid Esters (PAEs) Accumulation and Metal Dis

Abstract

Coastal environment is an important area in ecology as it supports several natural and human activities, hence the need to access their associated risk matrices. Lagos state (in Nigeria) is a mega city and an economic hub in West Africa, this suggeststhat lots of anthropogenic activities interfering negatively with the ecosystem could be imminent. Some of those are affluence discharge, microplastic pollution, and resulting in phthalate acid esters (PAEs) accumulation in coastal sediments. Microplastics (MPs) and PAEs concentrations at four (4) different regions (Elegushi, Atican, Eleko, and OniruBeaches) of Lagos coastal sediment have been assessed.Sediment samples were collected during the dry season from the beaches. The MPs content was separated from the sediments by density flotation in a saturated solution of sodium chloride (NaCl). Polymer analysis was conducted using the PerkinElmer Spectrum Two Attenuated Total Reflectance – Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectrometry (ATR-FTIR). The MPs found in the area were characterized based on plastic and polymer types. The obtained data was visualized using python data manipulation and analysis libraries. The MPs concentrations based on plastic types in the area follows; Oniru>Elegusgi>Eleko>Atican corresponding to 51.06%, 35.30%, 6.91%, and 6.73% respectively. Based on MPs distribution onpolymer types,the concentrationfollowsthe order of; Oniru>Elegushi>Atican>Eleko with respective percentage contributions as51.06%, 35.30%, 6.91%, and 6.73%. The phthalate esters (PAEs) analyzed in the sediment and extracted include Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBZP), di (ethyl hexyl) phthalate (DEHP), Diethyl phthalate (DEP), Dimethyl phthalate (DMP), Dibutyl phthalate (DnBP), and Di n-octyl phthalate (DnOP). The PAEs with the highest impact of fouling within the study area is DEHP (80.82%) whereas DnOP has the least contribution (0.15%). Relative to the beaches, the contamination resulting from the sum of the six PAEs (? 6PAEs) fellows; Oniru beach (46.17%), Eleko beach has the least (6.23%) whereas Antican and Elegushi beaches have relatively the same concentration (23.80% and 23.79% respectively). These results imply that the level of soil contamination by PAEs, is dependent on the MPs accumulation in the area. Therefore, rising concentration of MPs and associated PAEs can interfere with the physical and chemical properties of sediments, which by extension will influence the overall biodiversity of the coastal environment and food chain. To mitigate these ecological implications, it is crucial to identify and reduce the sources of microplastic pollution in the area.

Publication Info:

Author: Nworie, C.D. , Akpa, C. , Omoruyi, N. and Ifeanyi, E. 1 2* 3

Volume: 60

Issue: March

Published By: Journal of Mining and Geology Vol. 60(1) 2024. pp. 25 - 43, 2024-03-01