Effects of gas flaring on surface and ground waters in Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract

Surface and groundwater samples from gas flared region of Warri and a neighboring town, Abraka, where minimal gas flaring activity takes place were analyzed for their major, minor and trace element constituents and some physical characteristics. The results were evaluated with a view to determine and compare the quality and potability of the water from areas of high gas flaring activity with samples collected from an environment of minimal or no gas flaring in one hand, and between surface and subsurface waters. The range of concentration of heavy metals were lead (1.0 to 7.0 mg/l), barium (-2.0 to 5.9 mg/l), cadmium (0.0 to 2.0 mg/l), selenium (0.0 to 0.07 mg/l), copper (0.01 to 0.03 mg/l). Some of these concentration levels are above World Health Organization (WHO) maximum permissible limits. However, the concentrations are more in surface waters than in borehole waters, with the gas flare region having upper limit. pH concentration ranges from 5.05 to 6.81 with surface waters having lower values on the average than borehole waters. The Igbudu River in Warri with a value of 5.05 is the most acidic. Apart from some remote cases of heavy metals contamination and the pH, the general results showed that water from the boreholes in the study areas had acceptable quality for household utilization while the surface waters may require treatment. Key words: Gas flaring, groundwater quality, physicochemical, WHO.