ABSTRACT
Soil and earthworm (Aporrectodea longa) samples were collected from mechanic workshops in Benin Metropolis, Nigeria for heavy metals analysis. The samples were analysed using standard laboratory techniques. The pattern of decreasing heavy metals concentration in soil and earthworm respectively is Fe (112.28-206.83 mg/kg), Zn (39.63-74.26 mg/kg), Cr (11.19-18.95 mg/kg), Cu (18.97-32.19 mg/kg), Pb (0.86-3.18 mg/kg), Ni (3.28-5.42 mg/kg), and Cd (0.023-0.074 mg/kg), and earthworms is Fe (71.28-135.22 mg/kg), Zn (68.37-218.52 mg/kg), Cr (2.32-7.94 mg/kg), Cu (22.97-76.38 mg/kg), Pb (0.15-9.77 mg/kg), Ni (0.28-0.68 mg/kg), and Cd (0.051-0.098 mg/kg). Fe, Zn, Cr, and Cu in Oluku soil had the highest mean values, while Uwelu had the highest mean values for Pb, Ni, and Cd. Fe, Zn, and Cu in earthworm had highest mean value in Evrareke, while Cr, Pb, Ni, and Cd had highest mean values in Uwelu earthworms. However there was significant dfference (p < 0.05) for Copper for soil and also significant difference (p < 0.05) for all the heavy metals in earthworms during this study. In the soil samples Zn was found to be higher than the permissible limit of heavy metals to be present in soil, according to WHO (1996).
