Anthropogenic Impacts on Water Quality of Kedong Stream in Idomi, Yakurr, Nigeria

Abstract

Anthropogenic activities on water sources have continued to attract the attention of scholars worldwide due to their increasing negative impacts on man, the economy, and its associated environmental consequences. The study examined the anthropogenic impacts on the water quality of the Kedong stream in Idomi, Yakurr, Nigeria. The participatory research method, field observation, and global positioning system (GPS) were used to generate data from the purposively sampled location. Samples were collected weekly during the rainy (May, June and July) and dry seasons (October, November, and December). The data collected were later compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) acceptable standard. The data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results of the independent t-test analysis statistics showed that the calculated t-values were pH (-5.137), DO (4.040), specific conductivity (-17.614), BOD (.559), NO₃ (-5.561), NH₄ (34.774), PO₄ (-5.799), SO₄ (-6.810), Fe (1.836), Zn (.545), Mn (-3.687), total coliform (2.811), and faecal Coliform (.242). These parameters differ from the critical because of the numerous human activities in the area. This implies that the water quality varies with the seasons and that anthropogenic activities have significantly impacted on water quality indicators of the Kedong stream in Yakurr local government area, Nigeria. Results revealed that the water quality of the Kedong stream has a significant difference from the World Health Organisation (WHO) permissible limit with the calculated t-value for pH (-6.277), DO (2.559), specific conductivity (-5.880), BOD (-1.627), NO₃ (-91.929), NH₄ (.444), PO₄ (.663), SO₄ (-326.976), Fe (.323), Zn (-179.722), Mn (-14.158), total coliform (2.319) and faecal coliform (2.517) were all different from the critical t-value of about 2.069 at the normal 0.05 level of significance with approximately 23 degrees of freedom. Therefore, the study revealed that the stream receives various inputs, including municipal, industrial, and agricultural pollutants, resulting in considerable changes in water quality. The study recommended improving the stream's physical state cost-effectively and ensuring a low pollutant to meet the requirements of the WHO standard. Again, rural people should be trained to treat contaminated water through boiling and filtering before it can be used for domestic purposes.