Global Journal of Earth and Environmental Science

The results from the comparative evaluation of the physical properties and the chemical speciation of bitumen obtained from Agbabu and Loda in Ilaje Area of Ondo State. The results obtained are compared with some of the recent results obtained for heavy metals on Agbabu bitumen, but different methods of analysis to see the variation on the results obtained. The percentage bitumen content are; 79.80 ± 0.01 and 46.50 ± 0.01, percentage sand content, 10.90 ± 0.01and 53.10 ± 0.01, penetration Test (25), 44.50 ± 0.02 and 45.30 ± 0.01, specific gravity (60), 0.97517 ± 0.02 and 0.9240 ± 0.01, Marshall stability in kg at 60  are 849.50 ± 0.01 and 635.00 ± 0.01, while the viscosity at 60 (Pa/Sec) are 9.7580 ± 0.01 and 9.6415 ± 0.01 obtained from Agbabu and Loda bitumen respectively. The results obtained for the physical characteristics as indicated above where in favour of Agbabu bitumen in terms of its durability except the penetration text.  The heavy metals concentrations in mg/kg are generally high in Loda bitumen for Pb, Cd, Cu, Ni, Mn, Cr, Zn and Fe. Fe is exceptionally high in the two samples with 9,201.2500 ± 0.20 mg/kg and 10,700.0700 ± 0.5 mg/kg respectively. The results obtained for Fe, Zn, Pb, Ni and Cu in this work were generally lower than the results obtained in the recent work. This may as a result of the extraction and experimental analysis method. Results of heavy metals studies on the fractionation of the heavy metals show that the concentration levels of Fe in residue fraction was higher than those in the carbonate fraction, iron and manganese fraction while the heavy metals bind to the organic fraction was low compared to the other fractions found in bitumen obtained from Loda.