This study investigated the natural attenuation of heavy metals and explosive residues resulting from military ammunition demolition activities in agrarian ecosystems of Nigeria, with Alamala serving as the primary focus. It examined the environmental and health risks associated with both historical and current disposal practices, evaluating the persistence and reduction of contaminants such as RDX, TNT, HMX, perchlorate, and various heavy metals. Seasonal and spatio-temporal sampling was conducted across soil, water, air, and vegetation in the demolition zones and surrounding communities. Samples were analysed for physicochemical parameters including pH, BOD, COD, TDS, and metal concentrations. The results revealed consistent patterns in iron and zinc levels, notable fluctuations in copper, and elevated concentrations of lead, particularly at the Alamala site. Seasonal variations influenced contaminant migration, with chloride and sulphate dominating the water chemistry. Explosive residues and heavy metals showed distinct attenuation behaviours across environmental compartments. Over a 90-day post demolition period, contaminant concentrations changed at varying rates, reflecting the natural remediation processes occurring in soil, water, and plants. Statistical analyses, including time series and regression models, identified compartment-specific attenuation rates and highlighted the complex interactions between environmental factors and contaminant behaviour. The study provided critical insights into the ecological impacts of demolition activities, contributing to informed risk assessment and environmental policy development in militarized agrarian regions.
| Published in | American Journal of Environmental Protection (Volume 14, Issue 5) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.ajep.20251405.15 |
| Page(s) | 213-221 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Natural Attenuation, Heavy Metals, Explosive Residues (RDX, TNT, HMX, Perchlorate), Military Ammunition Demolition, Spatio-temporal Analysis, Environmental Compartments
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| [3] | Codex Alimentarius Commission. (2001). Codex maximum levels for contaminants in foods. Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme. |
| [4] | Edwards, M. (2002). Chemistry of arsenic removal during coagulation and Fe-Mn oxidation. Journal AWWA, 94(4), 64-77. |
| [5] | Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). (2005). Toxicological profile for RDX. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. |
| [6] | Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB). (2013). RDX toxicity. U.S. National Library of Medicine. |
| [7] | Gomez, R. D., Higgins, C. E., & Dillman, B. (2004). Environmental effects of open burning/open detonation of energetic materials. Waste Management, 24(6), 605-616. |
APA Style
Odimgbe, G., Akinyemi, O., Bada, B. S., Mustapha, A. O. (2025). Natural Attenuation of Heavy Metals and Explosive Residues at Military Demolition Sites in Agrarian Ecosystems. American Journal of Environmental Protection, 14(5), 213-221. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajep.20251405.15
ACS Style
Odimgbe, G.; Akinyemi, O.; Bada, B. S.; Mustapha, A. O. Natural Attenuation of Heavy Metals and Explosive Residues at Military Demolition Sites in Agrarian Ecosystems. Am. J. Environ. Prot. 2025, 14(5), 213-221. doi: 10.11648/j.ajep.20251405.15
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Download@article{10.11648/j.ajep.20251405.15,
author = {Gregory Odimgbe and Olukayode Akinyemi and Babatunde Saheed Bada and Amidu Olalekan Mustapha},
title = {Natural Attenuation of Heavy Metals and Explosive Residues at Military Demolition Sites in Agrarian Ecosystems
},
journal = {American Journal of Environmental Protection},
volume = {14},
number = {5},
pages = {213-221},
doi = {10.11648/j.ajep.20251405.15},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajep.20251405.15},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajep.20251405.15},
abstract = {This study investigated the natural attenuation of heavy metals and explosive residues resulting from military ammunition demolition activities in agrarian ecosystems of Nigeria, with Alamala serving as the primary focus. It examined the environmental and health risks associated with both historical and current disposal practices, evaluating the persistence and reduction of contaminants such as RDX, TNT, HMX, perchlorate, and various heavy metals. Seasonal and spatio-temporal sampling was conducted across soil, water, air, and vegetation in the demolition zones and surrounding communities. Samples were analysed for physicochemical parameters including pH, BOD, COD, TDS, and metal concentrations. The results revealed consistent patterns in iron and zinc levels, notable fluctuations in copper, and elevated concentrations of lead, particularly at the Alamala site. Seasonal variations influenced contaminant migration, with chloride and sulphate dominating the water chemistry. Explosive residues and heavy metals showed distinct attenuation behaviours across environmental compartments. Over a 90-day post demolition period, contaminant concentrations changed at varying rates, reflecting the natural remediation processes occurring in soil, water, and plants. Statistical analyses, including time series and regression models, identified compartment-specific attenuation rates and highlighted the complex interactions between environmental factors and contaminant behaviour. The study provided critical insights into the ecological impacts of demolition activities, contributing to informed risk assessment and environmental policy development in militarized agrarian regions.
},
year = {2025}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - Natural Attenuation of Heavy Metals and Explosive Residues at Military Demolition Sites in Agrarian Ecosystems AU - Gregory Odimgbe AU - Olukayode Akinyemi AU - Babatunde Saheed Bada AU - Amidu Olalekan Mustapha Y1 - 2025/10/27 PY - 2025 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajep.20251405.15 DO - 10.11648/j.ajep.20251405.15 T2 - American Journal of Environmental Protection JF - American Journal of Environmental Protection JO - American Journal of Environmental Protection SP - 213 EP - 221 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2328-5699 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajep.20251405.15 AB - This study investigated the natural attenuation of heavy metals and explosive residues resulting from military ammunition demolition activities in agrarian ecosystems of Nigeria, with Alamala serving as the primary focus. It examined the environmental and health risks associated with both historical and current disposal practices, evaluating the persistence and reduction of contaminants such as RDX, TNT, HMX, perchlorate, and various heavy metals. Seasonal and spatio-temporal sampling was conducted across soil, water, air, and vegetation in the demolition zones and surrounding communities. Samples were analysed for physicochemical parameters including pH, BOD, COD, TDS, and metal concentrations. The results revealed consistent patterns in iron and zinc levels, notable fluctuations in copper, and elevated concentrations of lead, particularly at the Alamala site. Seasonal variations influenced contaminant migration, with chloride and sulphate dominating the water chemistry. Explosive residues and heavy metals showed distinct attenuation behaviours across environmental compartments. Over a 90-day post demolition period, contaminant concentrations changed at varying rates, reflecting the natural remediation processes occurring in soil, water, and plants. Statistical analyses, including time series and regression models, identified compartment-specific attenuation rates and highlighted the complex interactions between environmental factors and contaminant behaviour. The study provided critical insights into the ecological impacts of demolition activities, contributing to informed risk assessment and environmental policy development in militarized agrarian regions. VL - 14 IS - 5 ER -
Environmental Systems and Climate Change, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Abeokuta, Nigeria
Environmental Systems and Climate Change, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Abeokuta, Nigeria
Environmental Systems and Climate Change, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Abeokuta, Nigeria
Environmental Systems and Climate Change, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Abeokuta, Nigeria
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