Effect of Oil Spillage on Soils and Cassava in Okrika LGA of Rivers State

This study was carried out to determine tire effect of oil spillage on sou and 0*5510. Sod and cassa a samples from oil polluted farm was collected from Ibaka community, where oil companies operate their oil wells and installation, and co-host of the Port Harcourt Refinery while the unpolluted sample was collected from Konifu (Roni-ama) traditional town of OkrikahGA of Riner State. Descriptive and inferential statistics were ؛٦sed to analyxe tire data. Results for proximate composition (%) of raw cassava from Ibaka and Ronifu communities showed tirat proximate composition of cassava from Ibaka was carbohydrate - .ر protein - 2.66%ر lipid - 0,01%ر ash - .ر moisture - 55.2.2.%, fibre - 18.76% arrd that from Ronifu (control sample) was carbohydrate - 79.33% protein - 2.98%ر lipid - 0.78%, ash - 0,80% moisture - 42.99%ر fibre -19.01%. Vitamin contents of cassava from Ibaka and Ronifu were 0,077% and 0.098% respectively. The results showed that the proximate composition of cassava from tire polluted area (Ibaka) was lower compared to tirat of unpolluted area (Ronifu) while the heavy metal levels (dead (Pb), nickel (7٤) cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), arserric (As) and mercury (Hgh of soil and cassava from the polluted area were higher than that of tire unpolluted area. The increase in tire heavy metal levels in soil and cassava from tire polluted area could be as a result of crude oil pollution on the farmlands of Ibaka arrd gas flaring takingplace in tiris area since oil comparries operate there. The presence of heavy metal hr the cassava samples from the polluted soil indicate that the metals are exogenous contaminarrts of the food sample arrd this may constitute an health haxard to man that depend on these crops for food and irutrition.