Determination of aquifer position, aquifer protective capacity and groundwater quality in selected dumpsite in obubra local government area of south eastern Nigeria

Abstract

At Obubra Urban in Cross River State, aquifer position, aquifer protective capacity, and groundwater quality assessment were carried out. With a maximum electrode spacing of 480 meters, 12 vertical electrical sounding (VES) surveys were conducted. The data collected were processed using the IPI2win program. employing five locations for a 2D survey A resistivity map of the dumpsites was also produced using electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). While traditional laboratory techniques were utilized to examine the groundwater, tritium tagging investigations were also conducted to determine the extent of infiltration in the study area. Four to five geoelectric sections are shown in the study. The aquifer is located at depths of 51.7, 56.4, 34.5, and 56.4 meters in the third, fourth, and fifth layers, respectively. While other VES locations have values between 0.06g and 015 mhos and are classed as weakly protected, the over burden protection capacity has values of 0.3, 0.2, 0.18, and 0.17 mhos at VES 1, 4, 7, and 8, respectively. The area's aquifer system is likely extremely permeable with strong storativity because of the area's high porosity and transmissivity characteristics. The area has an infiltration value between 7 and 21 percent, according to the tritium tagging technique used to measure the extent of infiltration from the dumpsite. The aquifer system in the research area is porous, according to the results of the procedures described above, and toxins will circulate through it quickly if they are contaminated. The investigation reveals that while magnesium and cadmium were present in quantities beyond the WHO-approved limits for portable water, all other psychochemical markers were within acceptable limits.