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VOL. 11, ISSUE 2 (2026)
Restoration and treatment of surface water affected by mining wastewater: Environmental consequences and control methods in South-South Nigeria
Authors
Onwugbuta Nneka, Anele-Clinton Agatha N
Abstract
Heavy metals, particularly mercury (Hg), are
highly toxic to both the environment and human health. Exposure to heavy metals
has been associated with several adverse health effects, including neurological
disorders, kidney damage, and respiratory complications. In this study, the
search for novel and cost-effective adsorbents for reducing mercury
concentrations in water samples collected from River Niger in the southern
region of Nigeria was investigated. The turbidity analysis of water samples
obtained from Edo, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom States revealed that the river water
was highly turbid, with an average turbidity value of 355 NTU, making it
unsuitable for domestic use without adequate treatment. A series of batch
adsorption experiments were carried out using unmodified rice husk (UM-RH) and
unmodified orange peel (UM-OP) as adsorbents for mercury removal. The results
showed that the adsorption process was influenced by parameters such as pH,
contact time, and adsorbent dosage. Optimum adsorption conditions were achieved
at pH 5 using 0.5 g/20 ml of adsorbent at 35°C ± 2 over four hours. Under these
conditions, UM-RH recorded the highest adsorption efficiency of 45.11%, while
UM-OP showed a lower efficiency of 42.39% for mercury removal. Furthermore, the
Langmuir isotherm model provided a better fit for the experimental data than
the Freundlich isotherm model.
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Pages:64-70
How to cite this article:
Onwugbuta Nneka, Anele-Clinton Agatha N "Restoration and treatment of surface water affected by mining wastewater: Environmental consequences and control methods in South-South Nigeria". International Journal of Biology Research, Vol 11, Issue 2, 2026, Pages 64-70
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