_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Corresponding author: Email: erobo2011@gmail.com; Journal of Engineering Research and Reports 16(2): 1-9, 2020; Article no.JERR.59842 ISSN: 2582-2926 Potential Ecological Risk of Swamps Sediments in Illegal Refineries Sites: A Case Study of Isoko South, Delta State, Nigeria O. R. Akpomrere 1 and H. Uguru 2* 1 Surveying and Geoinformatics Unit, Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro, Nigeria. 2 Department of Agricultural and Bio-Environmental Engineering Technology, Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro, Nigeria. Authors’ contributions This work was carried out in collaboration between both authors. Author ORA designed the study, performed the statistical analysis, wrote the protocol and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Author HU managed the analyses of the study and managed the literature searches. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript. Article Information DOI: 10.9734/JERR/2020/v16i217160 Editor(s): (1) Dr. Tian-Quan Yun, South China University of Technology, China. Reviewers: (1) Amita Tripathy, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University, India. (2) Usman Waziri, Bauchi State University, Nigeria. Complete Peer review History: http://www.sdiarticle4.com/review-history/59842 Received 08 June 2020 Accepted 13 August 2020 Published 22 August 2020 ABSTRACT This study was carried to determine the level of heavy metals toxicity in swampy forest of Isoko South, Delta State, Nigeria. Sediments samples were collected from nine spatial points, within the swampy forest of Enwhe community of Delta State, Nigeria. The study area contained clusters of illegal crude oil refineries, before they were destroyed by the Nigeria military, during the first quarter of 2020. A total area of 1 km 2 of the swampy environment was covered in this study. Six toxic heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cr, Cd, Pb, and Ni) contents, in the sediments were determined in accordance to international approved standards. The results revealed that the activities of the illegal refineries located in the study area, significantly increased the heavy metals toxicity in the sediments. When compared with the results obtained from a reference point, the concentrations of the heavy metals were significantly higher, across the study area. Within the study area, spatial points B and D sediments contained the highest heavy metals concentrations. In addition, the study revealed that contamination factor of the sediments ranged between moderate and high degree of heavy metals contamination. This portrayed the potential ecological risks of the illegal Original Research Article