Abstract
The area was mineralized, yet it is an agricultural settlement. Histories of water hardness and local migration of connate (saline) water exist across the region. This study investigated effects of these geogenic circumstances on the economy of the region and Nigeria. Geophysical and geochemical analyses were carried out for delineation of hydrological structures relevant to groundwater movement and pollution status, respectively. Results revealed silty–sandy shale sandwiched between 60 and 100 Ω-m at the fourth geoelectric layer. This layer marks depths to water table from 7.0 to 12.0 m and formed aquitard as medium of regional stance for groundwater percolation. The aquitards confined localized resistivity anomalies of ≤ 60 Ω-m and was interpreted as various aquifers. Isolated peaks of hydraulic head up to 85 m around north-western and south-eastern ends of NW–SE-trending local water divide indicated areas of water table crops where conjunctive hydrological interaction exists between surface water and groundwater resources; each flushes dissolved elements from the calcareous sediments into the water resources. Consequently, configurations of pH, total dissolved solutes (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC) and total hardness ranged as: 6.97–7.96, 20–1399 mg/l, 30–2100 μs/cm and 8–160 mg/l, respectively. Localized concentrations of calcium, sodium, bicarbonate, sulphate, chloride, iron, manganese, zinc, lead, chromium and cobalt in mg/l ranged to pollution or alert levels as follows: 38–590, 5–89, 10–126, 30–460, 6–128, 0.01–1.74, 0.1–0.41, 0.001–0.13, 0/01–1.98, 0.011–0.56 and 0.05–0.22, respectively. The water is therefore hard and hence supports encrustations of fittings for water supplies. Consequently, screens’ slot sizes were clogged, resulting in incessant boreholes failures in the region. Heavy metals are polluting from identifiable loading sources, possibly, due to the proximity of associated lodes. These pollution(s) caused the exceedance of TDS (as reflected in EC) above the saline borderline and hence the salinity and sodium hazards that hampered crop growth, mainly cereal foods. It also endangered biodiversity of adjoining downstream regions.
Highlights
Chemical parameters of water resources could be influenced by hydrological interaction with geological formations (Subramani et al 2005) and affect the utilization potential, especially in agriculture (Food and agriculture organization, FAO 2013)
The water table was inferred within the fourth geoelectric unit at depths corresponding to minimum value of apparent resistivity curves: 12 m around VES 1 (Fig. 3a), about 10 m at VES 2 (Fig. 4a) and 7.0 m at VES 3 (Fig. 5a)
Apart from the mineralization of the bedrocks, migration of connate water was identified in some places and has constituted to elevated concentration of total dissolved solutes (TDS) in some places
Summary
Chemical parameters of water resources could be influenced by hydrological interaction with geological formations (Subramani et al 2005) and affect the utilization potential, especially in agriculture (Food and agriculture organization, FAO 2013). Based on this condition, water supply and sanitation services were initiated (African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW 2011)) as management strategy (National Water Policy, NWP 2004) to ensure excellence of water supply in agriculture for food production, in industries for. Dissolved solutes released from the weathered potions, in addition to those permeating from run-off sediments, mine water plumes and connate source, concentrated beyond nutritional limits in the water resources. The transfer of chemicals (dissolved solutes or ions) exposes biodiversity to bioavailability of the ions; the purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent of ionic concentrations, mode of chemical movement and the ecological risk assessment with respect to the national economy
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