_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Corresponding author: E-mail: josephine.olayinka-olagunju@aaua.edu.ng; Asian Journal of Environment & Ecology 9(3): 1-11, 2019; Article no.AJEE.49338 ISSN: 2456-690X Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Soil of an Open Dump along Old Ikare Road Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria J. O. Olayinka-Olagunju 1* , A. M. Olatunji-Ojo 1 , A. Adejuyigbe 1 , H. A. Ikuesan 1 and S. E. Abubakar 1 1 Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, Adekunle Ajasin University, P.M.B. 001, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria. Authors’ contributions This work was carried out in collaboration among all authors. Author JOOO designed the study, performed the statistical analysis, wrote the protocol and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Authors AMOO and AA managed the analyses of the study and the fieldwork. Authors HAI and SEA managed the literature searches. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Article Information DOI: 10.9734/AJEE/2019/v9i330099 Editor(s): (1) Dr. Wen-Cheng Liu, Professor, Department of Civil and Disaster Prevention Engineering, Taiwan Typhoon and Flood Research Institute, National United University, Taiwan. Reviewers: (1) Eniola Bolawa, University of Lagos, Nigeria. (2) Shipra Jha, AIB, Amity University, India. (3) Akpe, Michael Akomaye, University of Calabar, Nigeria. Complete Peer review History: http://www.sdiarticle3.com/review-history/49338 Received 15 March 2019 Accepted 05 June 2019 Published 26 June 2019 ABSTRACT Aims: To investigate the heavy metal concentrations in soil samples collected from an open dumpsite in a rural community (Aba Idi-Mangoro) in Owo, Ondo State and to compare the observed values with the regulatory limits. This study also aimed to determine the pollution levels using tools like contamination factor, pollution load index and geoaccumulation index. Study Design: Field study design was use in this study. Place and Duration of Study: Soil samples were collected from Aba Idi-Mangoro in Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria between July 2015 and February 2016 to represent the wet and dry seasons. Methodology: A total of 96 soil samples were collected (6 samples on each visit and the site was visited twice a month). The samples were taken to the Prof. Julius Okojie Central Research Laboratory at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. In the laboratory, Original Research Article