Abstract
Analysis of water bodies, such as rivers and lakes can provide an insight into their intrinsic composition and potential impact on the environment. Water samples collected from four designated sites in Idah River, were assessed for their physicochemical parameters and microbial diversity using standard procedures. The temperature from all sites was 26.00°C and the pH ranged from 6.93 to 7.08. Turbidity values ranged between 32.00 and 38.00 NTU, while dissolved oxygen ranged between 6.28 and 9.28 ppm. Heavy metals, such as Selenium and Arsenic (with peak values of 0.10 and 0.09 ppm, respectively) were detected in the river. However, dissolved oxygen, arsenic and turbidity values across all sites exceeded the maximum limit set by World Health Organisation and the Standard Organisation of Nigeria. The total heterotrophic bacterial counts showed excessive bacterial load from all sample sites, while pathogenic bacteria, including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella and Shigella species, were isolated from regions with intense anthropogenic activities along the river, indicative of microbial pollution. Fungal studies identified the presence of Fusarium, Aspergillus and Trichoderma species as the most abundant in the river. Obtained results showed that Idah River is exposed to heavy metal seepage and subject to microbial contamination. Therefore, continuous monitoring and better management of the river body is recommended to prevent disease outbreak. Key words: Aquatic ecosystems, Idah River, microbial diversity, physicochemical analysis.
Highlights
Water can be sourced from water bodies such as rivers, boreholes, lakes, springs and other large water bodies.the quality of water bodies can be adversely affected by man-made activities
Towards the end of the dry season in February 2020, a total of 20 water samples were aseptically collected in replicates from 4 selected sites in the river; all characterized by different levels of anthropogenic activities (Figure 1)
The pH ranges obtained showed that Idah Axis Midstream (IAM) had the highest mean pH value of 7.08, which was quite similar to that obtained at Docking Point B (7.07)
Summary
Water can be sourced from water bodies such as rivers, boreholes, lakes, springs and other large water bodies. Of freshwater bodies such as rivers (e.g. Idah River, Kogi State), streams, lakes and ponds are mostly experienced due to industrial discharge, municipal waste disposal and surface run-off (Akaniwor et al, 2007) Anthropogenic activities, such as discharges of domestic waste, untreated waste from sewage treatment plants, plastic materials, disposal of personal care products and household chemicals, improper disposal of car batteries, construction activities, mining activities, and pilgrim activities constantly deteriorate the water quality of rivers (Environmental Pollution Centers, 2018). Such deterioration in water bodies include an alteration in pH, increased turbidity, higher content of total dissolved solids and metals, as well as a higher risk of such water body hosting water-borne pathogens (Shaji et al, 2009; Ananthakrishnan et al, 2012). The study seeks to link the community present to the physiochemical factors that characterize the river, in a bid to proffer necessary recommendations to avert infectious disease outbreaks
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