Abstract
This study was done to assess the pollution of Apies River using both chemical and microbiological methods. The pollution index of the river revealed that the concentration of most pollutants downstream is more than 50% of the upstream concentration. The natural sources of the pollution in Apies River are the weathering of geological formations; whereas the anthropogenic sources are agriculture; Municipal WWTW and direct deposit of waste into the river. The natural sources of pollution contributed towards chemical pollution; whereas the anthropogenic sources contributed both chemical and microbiological pollution. The Apies River is hypertrophic downstream of the Rooiwal WWTW; however the current physiochemical state of the River warrants its ability to be used for safe irrigation in agricultural practices. The current microbiological state of the River does make it harmful for human consumption especially as drinking water; however, the water should be boiled prior to use to inactivate the bacteria present in the water. The study was able to provide in analysis the variation of the contaminants in the River.
Highlights
Water Pollution is the phenomena whereby unwanted materials enter a water body and contaminate it [1]
A Pollution Index (PI) ratio of less than 1.5 means that cconcentrations are less than 50% higher at the downstream site compared to upstream and these were highlighted in green
The dominant highlighted colours on the result (Table 2) are orange and red; which indicates that the concentration of most pollutants downstream is more than 50% of the upstream concentration
Summary
Water Pollution is the phenomena whereby unwanted materials enter a water body and contaminate it [1]. Water Pollution may be caused by natural or anthropogenic causes. The pollutants are normally suspended solids, silt, pathogens, and soils, erosion particles from river banks, cosmetics, sewage materials, emissions, and construction debris. These pollutants contaminate the water and may include Toxic substances, carcinogenic chemicals, organic matter and heavy metals [2]. The biological, physical and chemical pollution of surface water is a global phenomenon and there is great interest in it [3]. Three largest producers of waste water globally have been identified as agriculture, industry and municipalities; with agriculture producing 6%, industry producing 16% and municipalities producing 8% waste water [4], [5]
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