International Research Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy

Vol. 3(1), pp. 025-030, March, 2017. www.premierpublishers.org, ISSN: 0379-9160

IRJCP

Research article

Analysis of the heavy metals content of the surface

water of Ojo L.G.A., Lagos, Nigeria for cage aquaculture
in secondary schools
Ogwu Chukwudi1* and Egun A.C2
1*,2
Department of Vocational Education, Agricultural Science Unit, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria.

The unemployment malaise in Nigeria has reached a frightening level, the Federal Government
of Nigeria in its effort to reduce this social ill, introduced trade curriculum in 34 skill areas
including aquaculture. Good quality water that is, without pollutants is a vital factor and it is
given utmost attention in aquaculture schemes. This study therefore investigated the heavy
metals content of the surface water in Ojo for their suitability for cage aquaculture. The heavy
metals investigated were Zn, Cu, Fe, Hg, Pb, Cr. The research area Ojo was mapped out into five
stations. From each of the stations water samples were randomly collected from ten (10)
sampling sites, bulked and a composite drawn for analysis. The analytical methods adopted
th th th
were APHA 3111B (20 edition) APHA 311D (5 edition) and APHA 303C (15 edition). The
determination of the metals was done with ATI Unicam High performance liquid
Chromatography fitted with ultra-violet florescent detector. The results obtained were, Zn
0.5600.135, Fe, 0.1060.087, Hg, 0.0000.000, Pb, 0.0000.000, and Cr, 0.0000.007. These show
no significant difference. This reveals that the heavy metals content of Ojo surface water is still
within WHO acceptance level. It is therefore recommended that schools located in Ojo area of
Lagos should embark on aquaculture using cage method for the inculcation of fishery skills.

Keywords: Water, heavy metals, cage, aquaculture

INTRODUCTION

Fish is an important source of good quality protein
required in human diet. Njoku (2000) documented that
fish was the highest level of easily metabolizable high
quality protein, fat, vitamins and essential amino acids.
Foods and Agriculture Organization (2007) reported that
fish contributes more than 60% of the world supply of
protein.
According to Osagie (2012) and Odalu (2010), Ojikutu
and Omufe (2013), Nigeria is a maritime country with a
coast line measuring 853 kilometers, fish production as
an enterprise possess the capacity to contribute
significantly to the growth in agricultural sector. In the
views of Ibironke (1999) Nigeria is blessed with inland
water mass covering about 12.5 million hectares together
with about 20 million hectares of swamps, lagoons and
estuaries with varying species of fish. This was
Analysis of the heavy metals content of the surface water of OjoL.G.A., Lagos, Nigeria for cage aquaculture in secondary schools
corroborated by Abraham (2012). That Nigeria is
endowed with 800km coast line, extensive brackish
water, lagoons, creeks, rivers and lakes, yet the fish
supply in Nigeria is still far below the demand. This is
inconsonance with the ideas of Giserun (2006) who
stated that fish is important as food and source of income
to many people in developing countries, its supply in
Nigeria in about 750,000metrictonnes as against the
demand of 1.5 million metrictonnes. Odum (2005) Ojugo
(2010).
*Corresponding author: Dr. Ogwu Chukwudi,
Department of Vocational Education, Agricultural Science
Unit, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria. Email:
chukwudiogwu008@yahoo.com, Tel +234-8037767449,
+234-7018711418
Chukwudi and Egun 026
Ojindu (2012) revealed that fish is reputed to be the
cheapest source of quality protein for healthy populace,
however, in Nigeria, the trend in the past years has
shown that fish is fast getting out of rich of people and the
daily requirement of 60g per day per person as
recommended by World Health Organization may not be
realizable.
Obadoni and Odogwu (2013), Dada (2005)
reported that the total fish demand in Nigeria is about 1.5
millionmetric tonnes while the current domestic
production is 511,700 metrictonnes. The implication of
this is that the sharp full between demand and supplyis
made up with importation.
According to Oota (2012) Nigeria spends N100 billion in
fish importation annually. This is in tandem with the
opinion of Azaka (2013) that Nigeria fish demand stands
at 2.66 million metric tonnes, perannum her domestic
production is barely 750,000 metric tonnes, the gaps
between demand and supply is bridged with importation
which runs into several billions of dollars and in the
process jobs are exported to the foreign countries. United
states Agency for International Development
(2010)posited that with the importation of over 750,000
MT of fish by Nigeria, over 600,000 million USD is spent
in foreign exchange and thousands of jobs are exported.
The Federal Office of Statistics Abuja (2015) revealed
that 24%of Nigeria Youths are unemployed, while Ajago
(2013) reported that over40 million Nigerian youths have
no jobs. According to Ochu (2012) human capital
development and agriculture have been identified as
veritable tools for the attainment of food security,
employment generation, wealth creation and rural
transformation. Aworanti (2010) stressed that the only
way Nigeria can solve the problem of unemployment is
by inculcation of creative and entrepreneurial skills in
youths for empowerment, sustainable growth and food
security. Akinrotimi (2009); Aba (2010); Ibereme and
Okpara (2010), advised that teeming unemployment
youths could be empowered through the training in
employable and entrepreneurial skills such as
aquaculture or fish farming. The government of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria in response to the Mantra of
unemployment introduced the trade curriculum in 34 skill
areas including fishery in senior secondary schools.
The Philosophy of the trade curriculum as enunciated by
Nigeria Education and Research Development Centre
(2013) is that at the completion of the 3 years of the
senior secondary education, every graduate recipient
should have been well prepared for higher education as
well as acquired relevant functional trade,
entrepreneurship skills needed, for empowerment, for job
creation, wealth generation and poverty eradication.
Ajanaku 2012) Ode (2012), Osakwe (2010)
suggested that schools situated in wetlands could utilize
such water sources, in cage or penaquaculture rather
than excavating for earth pond or casting and erecting
concrete ponds, especially in areas were land is difficult
Analysis of the heavy metals content of the surface water of OjoL.G.A., Lagos, Nigeria for cage aquaculture in secondary schools
to access. Obigwe (2013) warned that the quality of water
for pen or cage aquaculture should be ascertained for
presence of possible pollutants such as heavy metals,
polychlorinated biphynls (PCBs) pesticides persistent
organic pollutants (POPs) anions total hydrocarbon
content (THC) etc.
Ojo in Badagry division lies between latitude
0 0
6 270 and 3 1320 E. It is predominantly wetland with
good network of streams and river lets. Thus, has a good
potential for fishery and aquaculture. Ojo is highly
populated and also the industrial and commercial nerve
centre of the division. With high population density and
increased proliferation of cottage and mega industries,
the surface water of in Ojo stand threatened by effluent
discharges, domestic and municipal wastes which may
result in bioaccumulation and biomagnification in the fish
cultured in such medium.
Ted and Jones (2012) defined bioaccumulation as the
accumulation of substances in biological tissues and
organisms at all level are susceptible to bioaccumulation.
Biomagnification as espoused by United State
Environmental Protection Agency (2010) is the increasing
concentration of a substance from one trophic level to the
next.
Pollution of surface water resulting from effluent
discharges from industries and poorly managed domestic
and municipal wastes culminating in bioaccumulation and
biomagnifications in aquatic bios have been reported in
several studies. (Atiakuru, 1997;Balearie, 2004;Biney,
1991;Ogwu, 2012;Ogwu, 2013;Adeyemo, Fernado, 2010;
Spiff,2004;Muwange and Bantenio, 2006;Oguzie, 2009).
A cage aquaculture is the practice of culturing fish in a
natural body of water (Olaitan 2000) while Otubitin (2012)
defined cage aquaculture as therazing of fish in a cage
anchored or suspended in natural surface water.
This paper investigates the concentration of heavy metals
in the surface water in Ojo area of Lagos for their
suitability for cage aquaculture in the secondary schools
located in the areas.
MATERIALS AND METHOD
The main purpose of this study is to determine
and qualify the heavy metals content in the surface water
in Ojo for cage aquaculture in the study areas. To
achieve the purpose, the study sought to answer the
following research questions
1. What is the concentration of heavy metals (Zn,
Cu, Fe, Pb, Hg) in the surface water in Ojo L.G.A,
Lagos State?
2. To what extent are the concentration of the
identified heavy metals tolerable to school
aquaculture programmes using WHO standards?
 Int. Res. J. of Curr.d Pedag. 027

Figure 1. Map showing the Study Area

Table 1. Heavy metal content of Ojo in mg/l

N/S Parameter Samples Analysis Result

A B C D E

1 Zn 0.02 0.68 0.74 0.67 .069

2 Cu 0.07 0.02 0.04 0.33 0
3 Fe 0.18 0.02 0.05 0.03 0.05
6 Cr 0.01 0 0.01 0.01 0.02
Note: Mercury (Hg) and Lead (Pb) were not detected in all the stations investigated

3. What is the implication of the heavy metals Analysis of Samples

concentrations for cage aquaculture in secondary
schools in Ojo L.G.A. of Lagos State? The heavy metals content of the water samples were
determined with ATIUnicam Atomic Absorption
The research design adopted was ex-post facto. The Spectrophotometry (AAS) Model 939
research area Ojo was delineated into (5) five research Zn, Cu, Fe,Pb, Cr : APHA
th
cells and these were Alaba International market cell, 31111B (20 edition)
Sabo cell, Jakande Estate, Abule-Aka and Kembiri cells. Hg : APHA3112D
th
The heavy metals investigated were zinc (Zn), Cupper (15 edition)
(Cu), Iron (Fe), Mercury (Hg), Lead (Pb) and Chromium
(Cr). From each of the five sampling cells, water samples
were randomly collected with the aid of plastic sampling RESULTS
bottles with graduated strings, at the depth of 10cm. The
samples were bulked, a composite drawn and fixed with Sample Analysis results are presented in table 1.
HNO3. They were preserved in ice cool boxes with which
they were taken to the laboratory for analysis. The map of The result of the laboratory analysis were subjected to
the study area is shown in Figure 1 above. statistical analysis with mean, variance and standard
deviation and the results are as presented in Table 2

Stations Descriptions
DISCUSSION
A - Alaba Ajamgbadi
B - Jakande Estate The heavy metals investigated and the results
C - Kemberi Ajamgbadi show that the mean concentration of zinc in the surface
D - Abule Aka water in Ojo is 0.560mg/l MPC for zinc is 5.0mg/l WHO,
Analysis of the heavy metals content of the surface water of OjoL.G.A., Lagos, Nigeria for cage aquaculture in secondary schools
Chukwudi and Egun 028
Table 2. The Results of Statistical Analysis of the Parameters Investigated
Parameter N Mean
Zn 5 0.560
Cu 5 0.092
Fe 5 0.106
Cr 5 0.010
Note: Mercury (Hg) and Lead (Pb) were not detected in all the stations investigated
thus zinc concentration is below the Maximum
Permissible Concentration. The mean concentration of
copper in the area investigated was 0.092mg/l while the
WHO/MPC is 1.0mg/l. The mean result of the iron
concentration in Ojo surface water is 0.016mg/l, is also
below the WHO/MPC of 0.3mg/l. The determination of
lead revealed a concentration of 0.000, which show that ,
the lead content is below the detectable level of
instrument deployed in the analysis, the WHO/MPC for
lead is 0.05mg/l. Also the mercury determination gave a
mean concentration of 0.000mg/l while the WHO/MPC for
mercury 0.02mg/l. This is equally with a tolerable level.
The results were further subjected to test of significance
with F- distribution and t-test at df 5 and 0.05 level of
significance. The F-calculated value was 877.34 and
table value was 5.050. The t-test calculated value was
0.341 and t-table value was 2.571.
The mean results of all variables determined and the
analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the
concentration of the heavy metals is within the level
recommended for aquaculture projects. This results is in
agreement with (Bolanle, 2004;Ashaye 2001;Kofoworola
2007;Adeyemi 2011;Atuma2006) who recorded low
concentration of heavy metals in the surface water of
various area studied.
The concentrations of the heavy metals investigated
clearly revealed that aquaculture activities employing
cage pen or happa can be implemented in Ojo area
without bioaccumulation of heavy metals, POPs and
PCBs. Schools in Ojo area in Lagos state can effectively
implement the Nigeria new senior secondary school trade
and entrepreneurship curriculum in fishery by deploying
cage, pen, raceway or happa methods of aquaculture.
This will reduce the cost implication of aquaculture
associated with earth and concrete ponds which had
hitherto made aquaculture a capital intensive enterprise.
CONCLUSION
The unemployment situation in Lagos has
reached a breaking point with graduates churned out
every year without job placement options. This situation
has bred a lot of social vices that have plagued this state
such as youth restiveness, kidnappings and armed
robbery. The only panacea is creation of employment to
engage the idle hands through acquisition of vocational
skills in agriculture and other skill areas. Fishery is a skill
Analysis of the heavy metals content of the surface water of OjoL.G.A., Lagos, Nigeria for cage aquaculture in secondary schools
Variance Standard deviation
0.092 0.303
0.018 0.135
0.007 0.087
0.005 0.007
area where a new entrant could venture with little capital
especially in cage or pen aquaculture. This study is thus
imperative for the success of cage aquaculture for
empowering the senior secondary graduates for
sustainable development, food security and wealth
creation in Lagos state.
The determination of the quality of water utilized
in aquaculture is of utmost importance to avoid the death
of fingerlings and also to rule out cases of
bioaccumulation and biomagnification.
The results of the analysis revealed that the
concentrations of the investigated heavy metals are
within the levels recommended by World Health
Organization. It is therefore recommended that schools
within Ojo area should embark on cage aquaculture
utilizing the surface water within their area to inculcate in
the students the skills of fishery. Also individuals living in
Ojo area who are unemployed and who may not have
initial start off capital for other aquaculture programmes
such as earth pond or tarpaulin are enjoined togo into
aquaculture through cage aquaculture.
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Analysis of the heavy metals content of the surface water of OjoL.G.A., Lagos, Nigeria for cage aquaculture in secondary schools