Assessment of Metals/Metalloids in Stone Quarrying Respirable Dust in Jos South Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria

Environmental pollution is one of the factors responsible for global mortality and morbidity due to human exposure metals/metalloids, Respirable exposure to toxic chemicals through anthropogenic activities. Quarrying is a form of mining activity with associated environmental and health consequences; the extraction processes cause the release of respirable dust containing heavy metals into the air, soil, and groundwater. In this study, we determined the impact of quarry on the concentrations metals/metalloids in respirable dust (Ar, Cd, Pb, Mn, Zn, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni and Cr) in five quarry sites (RQ, GQ, DQ, LQ and ZQ) in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (Agilent Technologies 200 series). The concentration of dust in morning and afternoon sessions was in the increasing order of RQ < DQ < LQ < GQ < ZQ and RQ < GQ < DQ < LQ < ZQ, respectively. The enrichment and Igeo values revealed significant metals/metalloids, in the quarry dust.