ANTHROPOGENIC WASTE EFFECTS ON AQUACULTURE IN RIVER BENUE AT MAKURDI, NIGERIA

Abstract

River Benue originates from Cameroonian mountains and flows westwards into Nigeria covering about 1,488km into Makurdi. River Benue divides Makurdi town into North and South banks, occupied throughout its embankment by houses, markets, industrial and commercial structures producing all manners of municipal wastes and disposing them into the river while the same river is use for fishing and fish culture as well as the major source of water supply for the inhabitants living along the embankment. The purpose of the study was to assess the water quality parameters of River Benue at Makurdi metropolis for Aquaculture. Five sampling sites were selected along the water course at areas considered full of possible activities that are capable of affecting the quality of the river water for aquaculture. Water samples were collected monthly for a period of six months, (August to January). Water quality characteristics considered vital for aquatic life were examined: physical parameters investigated were Colour, Temperature, Turbidity, Suspended solids (SS) and Total dissolve solids(TDS); chemical parameters were pH, Total alkalinity, Total hardness Magnesium, Calcium, Iron, Phosphate, Nitrate, electrical conductivity, Dissolved oxygen, Biochemical oxygen demand, Chemical oxygen demand and Feacal coliform. Amongthe18 parameters studied: Water colour averagely appeared brownish, temperature ranged from 270c to 34.40c, turbidity (25.2 to 67.1 NTU), Suspended solids (22.5 to 55.6 mg/l), Total dissolve solids (189to820mg/l), pH (6.2 to 7.6),Total alkalinity (51.0 to 98.0 mg/l), Total hardness (58.0 to 141 mg/l),Phosphate (6.35 to 10.20 mg/l),Nitrate (2.1 to5.15mg/l),Magnesium (21.6 - 38.6 mg/l), Calcium (34.6 - 48.2 mg/l),Iron (0.37 - 1.35 mg/l), electrical conductivity (89.6 to 565 μS/cm), Dissolved oxygen(14.4 to 18.4 mg/l), Biochemical oxygen demand(5.4 to 9.42 mg/l), Chemical oxygen demand(25.7 to 33. 0 mg/l) and Feacal coliform(34.1 to 87.2 MPN). Most of their mean values were within the limit of FAO for aquaculture, except Magnesium, Calcium, Iron and Phosphate which might not be suitable for some species of fishes and fish culture without some level of treatment.