Assessment of Sediment Quality and Pollution Level along River Benue at Makurdi Benue State, Nigeria

Assessing sediment quality is essential for understanding the level of contamination and ecological health of aquatic systems. River sediments often accumulate toxic substances, making them useful indicators of pollution from natural and human activities. This study examines the sediment quality of River Benue at Makurdi using established sediment quality standards and geochemical indices to evaluate the extent of heavy metal contamination. Sediment samples were collected from River Benue and analysed for heavy metals content by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The rank abundance of metals in the sediments was Fe > Zn > Cu > Ni > Pb > Cd, with mean concentrations and standard deviation of 5987.36±1908.21 mg/kg, 60.43±18.77 mg/kg, 31.63±19.72 mg/kg, 25.73±9.10mg/kg, 20.07±7.01mg/kg and 1.28±0.51mg/kg respectively. The finding reveals that, the geochemical index (Igeo) and enrichment factor (EF) were significantly enriched with Zn, Cu, Pb and Ni, while Cd and Ni were less significant. The contamination factor (CF) and pollution load index (PLI) showed that all stations have low contamination of all metals, except station 5 with PLI>1, which may be due to industrial waste released from industrial activities. The integration of Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs) and sediment quality indices revealed that sediments from the River Benue at Makurdi are contaminated, posing potential risks to the surrounding aquatic ecosystems. Thus, regular monitoring of sediment quality in River Benue at Makurdi is recommended to track changes in metal contamination over time. Industries near the river should also adopt stricter waste management practices to reduce waste discharges in to the river.