Abstract
This paper investigated the comparative analysis of groundwater contamination in Third Cemetery and Costain Dumpsite in Benin Metropolis, South South of Nigeria, using Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and Physicochemical analysis of water. The implications of land utilization for burial of dead human bodies in the form of cemeteries, many cases associated with coffin and caskets used for interment of remains and the location of refuse dump have received no consideration in Nigeria. Interment of bodies in cemeteries and dumping of refuse in dumpsites remain widespread practice and the only alternative endpoint to dead bodies and disposal of wastes in Nigeria. In Nigeria, this practice had not been perceived as having a significant potential contaminant effect in the environment and especially the groundwater component as search of literature attracted no such study to the country. In Benin City and Nigeria in general, the major cemeteries and dumpsites are located close to human residential areas and virtually all the populace within this locality depends on groundwater as the primary water source for various domestic purposes. Res2Dinv was employed in both sites as the geophysical method. The investigation of cemeteries is always difficult and challenging task in geoforensic prospective. Most researchers assess the impact of interment on the environment by comparing study results from cemeteries with data from reference sites. This study is based on this premise. The 2-D Geological Models showed that both Third Cemetery and Costain Dumpsite contained leachate plumes of various degrees as indicated by the low resistivity values, which infiltrated into the groundwater. The values of Water Quality Index (WQI) of groundwater samples in Third Cemetery and Costain Dumpsite were found to be 13.40 and 21.58 respectively which indicated that the quality of water at both Third Cemetery and Costain Dumpsite were good for drinking and other domestic purposes though with some degrees of contamination.
Highlights
Groundwater is an important freshwater resource in both the urban and rural areas of Nigeria (Adekunle et al, 2007)
This paper investigated the comparative analysis of groundwater contamination in Third Cemetery and Costain Dumpsite in Benin Metropolis, South South of Nigeria, using Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and Physicochemical analysis of water
The 2-D Geological Models showed that both Third Cemetery and Costain Dumpsite contained leachate plumes of various degrees as indicated by the low resistivity values, which infiltrated into the groundwater
Summary
Groundwater is an important freshwater resource in both the urban and rural areas of Nigeria (Adekunle et al, 2007). The issues of necroleachate represent a matter of concern because groundwater can be contaminated by such as they are laden with bacteria, viruses, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) (Neckel et al, 2016), and heavy metals and other toxic substances resulting from the decay of coffin material (Spongberg & Becks, 2000; Jonker & Olivier, 2012). These may be transported from the graves through seepage and percolate into surrounding soils and from there they may leach into groundwater and become a potential health risk to the residents depending on the contaminated water for various uses. In some part of Benin City residential buildings exist as close as 5 m to the cemetery in some cases, and an example is the sitting of Third Cemetery at New Benin district
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