Bioaccumulation of Hydrocarbons and Heavy Metals in Selected Indicator Species in Bonga Offshore Oil Field, Niger Delta

Adams Oladimeji Peter, Ibrahim Hassan Garba, U. D. Garba

Abstract


Petroleum exploration in offshore environments releases complex mixtures of hydrocarbons and heavy metals that pose significant threats to marine ecosystems. This study investigated the bioaccumulation of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, V, Zn, Cu) in three selected indicator species — Lutjanus spp. (red snapper), Nematoscarcinus sp. (deep-sea shrimp), and Chromatium sp. (purple sulphur bacteria) — collected from five stations at distances of 0.5–10 km from the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel of the Bonga Offshore Oil Field (OML 118), Niger Delta, Nigeria. Samples were obtained during wet (April–October 2024) and dry (November 2024–March 2025) seasons. Results revealed significantly higher (p < 0.05) contaminant concentrations at stations proximal to the FPSO, declining progressively with distance following a log-linear decay pattern (r² = 0.94). Lutjanus spp. demonstrated the highest bioaccumulation factors for TPH (BAF = 2.92–3.21; mean = 3.05), confirming its suitability as a sentinel organism. Chromatium sp. was absent where sediment TPH exceeded 3.65 mg/kg dry weight (dw), providing a consistent, low-cost threshold bioindicator of hydrocarbon impact. Dry season contaminant concentrations were 11–19% higher than wet season across all matrices (p < 0.01). Human health risk assessment indicated that the cumulative Hazard Index for Lutjanus spp. consumers exceeded the safety threshold of 1.0 (HI = 1.79) under average consumption scenarios (30 g/day), and both lead (Pb) and TPH Target Hazard Quotients exceeded 1.0 for high-end consumers (100 g/day). These findings demonstrate measurable ecological impact from FPSO operational discharges and support continuous biomonitoring, seasonal fishing advisories, and further reduction of produced water hydrocarbon content in the Bonga field.


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References


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