TITLE:
Physicochemical Characteristics of Soil Moisture and Their Effects on the Corrosion Behavior of Buried Mild Steel in Calabar Metropolis, Nigeria
AUTHORS:
Wilfred Emori, Peter C. Okafor, Victoria M. Bassey
KEYWORDS:
Soil Contaminants, Heavy Metals, Mild Steel, Metal Corrosion
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.9 No.7,
June
29,
2018
ABSTRACT: Soil moisture collected from three locations, namely University of Calabar (UNICAL), Calabar municipal solid waste dumpsite (MSWD) and a mechanic workshop (MW) all within Calabar metropolis, Nigeria, were analyzed quarterly in a one year study at different depths (0.5 m and 1 m) for some physicochemical parameters. UV-visible spectrophotometer, titration and atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) were the employed analytical techniques. With the exception of chloride, all other parameters showed higher values with depth. Higher values for the analyzed parameters were generally reported for MSWD and this was largely the result of the presence of a variety of contaminants in this location. Microbial analysis of soil samples from the locations revealed the presence of SRB in MW, which could have possibly influenced the soil moisture chemistry of the location. Corrosion rate was calculated from weight loss measurements and the quarterly results were all for follow the trend: UNICAL