A Study Of The Physico-chemical Parameters And Heavy Metal Concentration In Water And Sediment

A Study Of The Physico-chemical Parameters And Heavy Metal Concentration In Water And Sediment

Abstract

A study of the physico- chemical parameters and heavy essence impurity in water and sediments of Ogbe- Ijoh waterside of Warri swash, Delta state, Nigeria was carried out between February and July 2013. All samples were taken from three different points along the swash. The physico- chemical parameters of the water samples were measured both in- situ and in the laboratory. The parameters measured included air and water temperature, pH, natural oxygen demand( BOD5), dissolved oxygen( DO1), chemical oxygen demand( COD), electrical conductivity( EC), translucency, total dissolved solids( TDS), alkalinity, ammonium- nitrogen( NH3- N), chloride, sulphate, nitrate, phosphate, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. The range values of the measured parameters were compared with World Health Organisation( WHO) and Federal Environmental Protection Agency( FEPA) norms. The findings showed that all the physico- chemical parameters measured were within the tolerable value ranges except pH, Chemical Oxygen Demand( COD) and phosphates( PO43-). The pH of the water was set up to be between5.49 to7.98; showing a relatively acidic to neutral condition in the study area as opposed to WHO(7.0-8.5) and FEPA(6.00-9.00) limits. COD exceeded WHO and FEPA limits( 10mg/ l) with the range values of7.60-71.92 mg/ l while phosphates with range values between0.18-0.90 mg/ l exceeded WHO(0.26 mg/ l) and FEPA(0.50 mg/ l) limits. The results from the heavy essence( Cd, Ni, Mn, Cr, Pb and Hg) assessed for both water and sediments showed that Cd, Ni, Mn and Cr weren’t detected in the water but were detected in the sediments; still, Hg was detected in neither water nor deposition. The mean attention of essence in water were0.25 ±0.38 mg/ l( Cr) and0.13 ±0.06 mg/ l( Pb), and mean attention of essence in deposition were4.13 ±2.06 mg/ kg( Cd),107.90 ±16.08 mg/ kg( Mn),2.08 ±0.63 mg/ kg( Ni),1.61 ±0.52 mg/ kg( Cr) and72.03 ±11.2 mg/ kg( Pb). These values exceeded WHO and FEPA limits therefore suggesting thatthe water is unfit for consumption, thus, frequent monitoring of physico- chemical parameters of Ogbe- Ijoh waterside of Warri swash is imperative.

Chapter One

Preface

Background to the Study

Water is a finite resource that’s veritably essential for the mortal actuality, husbandry and assiduity therefore, shy volume and quality of water have serious impact on sustainable development. In developing countries similar as Nigeria, people have little or no option but to accept water sources of doubtful quality, due to lack of better indispensable sources or due to profitable and technological constraints to treat the available water adequately before use( Calamari and Naeve, 1994; Aina and Adedipe, 1996). The failure of clean water and pollution of fresh water has thus led to a situation in which one- fifth of the civic residers in developing countries and three- quarter of their pastoral dwelling population don’t have access to nicely safe water inventories( Lloyd and Helmer, 1992).

Water quality characteristics of submarine terrain arise from a multitude of physical, chemical and natural relations. A regular monitoring of water bodies with needed number of parameters in relation to water quality prevents the outbreak of conditions and circumstance of hazards. According to Wotton( 1992), material pollution of gutters is caused by poisonous adulterants( heavy essence, phenols and germicides, among others) that have direct adverse effect on submarine biota and by- adulterants( mortal and beast waste) that laterally affect submarine biota, which aren’t poisonous but due to bacterial action on them, dissolved oxygen is used up which harms submarine biota. Assessment of water isn’t only for felicity for mortal consumption but also in relation to its agrarian, artificial, recreational, marketable uses and for its capability to sustain submarine life. Water quality monitoring is thus a abecedarian tool in the operation of brackish coffers.

The biotic element of the submarine ecosystem, which consists of fauna and foliage, are necessary profitable coffers. Major factors of submarine fauna are the finfish and shellfish( shrimps, prawns, cranks, lobsters, bones , scallops, periwinkles and oysters among others). pastoral crafters who depend on fisheries as a means of livelihood concentrate on shallow water bodies like gutters, creeks, lakes and lagoons for their fishing passage; this is due to their incapability to explore larger water bodies because of limited capital. In Nigeria, the artisanal fisheries sector produces bulk of fish consumed by the crowd; in addition, this fisheries sector provides income, employment, raw accoutrements and foreign exchange to the Nigerian crowd and the nation( Kumolu- Johnson, 2004).

still, in recent times, Nigeria inland water bodies have been subordinated to colorful forms of declination due to pollution arising from domestic wastes, artificial effluent, agrarian run- offs, oil painting spillage, mine backwaters and offensive fishing practices( Ndimele, 2008). The result is that the associated fishery, the biota and the ecosystem upon which fishermen depend for a living are destroyed and consumption of fish caught from similar weakened water bodies poses severe peril to the consumers( Kumolu- Johnson etal., 2005). One of similar adulterants is heavy essence.

The term “ heavy essence ” refers to any metallic element that has a fairly high viscosity and is poisonous or toxic indeed at low attention( Lenntech, 2004). “ Heavy essence ” is a general collaborative term, which applies to the group of essence and metalloids with infinitesimal viscosity lesser than 4 g/ cm3 or 5 times or further, lesser than water( Garbarino etal., 1995; Hawkes, 1997). Heavy essence are adulterants that have been a source of concern for submarine ecologists because utmost of them are non-biodegradable; formerly they enter the system of a biota, they persist there andbio-accumulate along the food chain( Ndimele etal., 2009). The presence of heavy essence in submarine ecosystems is the result of two main sources of impurity; natural processes or natural being deposits and anthropogenic conditioning.

In the fresh water terrain, poisonous essence are potentially accumulated in water, sediments and submarine organisms and are latterly transferred to man through the consumption of these submarine organisms and from consumption of water from these submarine bodies. Studies on heavy essence in gutters, lakes, fish and sediments have been a major environmental focus especially during the last decade( Fernandes etal., 2008; Pote etal., 2008; Praveena etal., 2008). Sediments have been reported to form the major depository of heavy essence in the submarine ecosystem while both allochthonous and indigenous influences could make a attention of heavy essence in the water high enough to be of natural significance( Oyewo and Don- Pedro, 2003). Water is generally employed as a pollution index by heavy essence and sediments can give a deeper sapience into the long- term pollution state of the water body( Ikem etal., 2003). Heavy essence content in gutters may vary between the water column and the bed sediments. still, variation in attention of parameters depends on attention from processes operating within the catchment. Some heavy essence set up in water and sediments include Lead, Mercury, Chromium, Manganese, Nickel, Cadmium, Copper, Cobalt, Iron and Selenium, amongst others.

This study is geared towards determining the physico- chemical parameters and attention of heavy essence in the water and bottom sediments of Warri swash, located in Warri, Delta state, Nigeria, with a view to establishing a introductory data on the current pollution status of the swash. The results attained from this study would also give information on current situations of essence in the water and sediments of the swash, contributing to the effective monitoring of both environmental quality and health of the organisms inhabiting the swash.

Defense

Water is important, directly or laterally, to mortal and carnal life and therefore, requires that proper attention be given to its quality, conforming of the physical and chemical characteristics, which motivated this study. The numerous mortal conditioning in the last decade have increased the essence mobility in the terrain, and heavy essence be to be one of the main adulterants in submarine systems as some essence are patient therefore getting potentially dangerous to biota.

Over the times, some work has been done on the physico- chemical parameters of some creeks along Warri River( Peretiemo- Clarke etal., 2009; Ogunlaja and Ogunlaja, 2007), but there has been limited study on the physico- chemical parameters as well as heavy essence pollutants of the Ogbe- Ijoh waterside of the Warri swash, hence the need for this study. The study will also give birth data for unborn work on the swash.

Points And Objects

The main end of this study is to probe and determine the physico- chemical parameters and attention of some named heavy essence in the water and deposition of Ogbe- Ijoh waterside. This would be achieved by

Determining the physico- chemical parameters of the water

Determining the heavy essence attention in water and sediments of Ogbe- Ijoh waterside

Inferring if the water from the swash is safe for consumption and for the food of the submarine organisms inhabiting the biota when compared against set norms by Food and Agricultural Organisation( FAO) and World Health Organisation( WHO).