Abstract
Iron, manganese, zinc, cadmium, and chromium heavy metals and arsenic contents of groundwater in area and surrounding environment, of Ika land in the Delta state, Nigeria was studied. Groundwater without any treatment is the predominant source of drinking water by inhabitants of these communities. However, the quality of this water source is not immediately known, raising questions of its safety.Results of a regional composite of groundwater obtained, shows high iron (27%) and zinc (36%) contents in Boji-Boji Agbor area, manganese (31%) was highest in Boji-Boji Owa. Alihame recorded the lowest value of zinc (8%), while manganese was lowest in Agbor Obi area (12%). Arsenic, cadmium, and chromium were below detection limit in all the sample sites. Correlational matrix analysis revealed no significant relationships between metal types studied. Analyses of chronic daily dose intake (CDI), and hazard index were all very low. A hazard index of 0.01 was obtained. One-way ANOVA show significant statistical difference in the mean concentrations of the heavy metals for the different sample sites, which indicate that different sites contribute differently to the mean concentrations of the groundwater in the study area.Four conclusions are drawn from this study. Indications are that the heavy metals present in the Nigerian aquifer are very much below the maximum concentration levels and guideline values of national and WHO standards. Secondly, there is a heavier load of these metals in the city centre than in the suburbs; with Boji-Boji area Agbor/Owa urban areas accounting for 27 and 20 percent of load respectively. Thirdly, the below detection limit results for some of the metal ions and the very low concentrations of those detected are pointers to the absence of industrial activities and mining. Finally, the groundwater in the study area is considered to be generally safe with respect to the contaminants studied and results posted for the composite samples. Inhabitants are therefore under no illusion of immediate or remote health challenges with regards to the heavy metals analyzed. More individual sampling, however, is recommended.
Highlights
Water is a precious and most commonly used resource (Ramesh and Elango 2014)
We study some heavy metal characteristics in the groundwater from boreholes in Boji-Boji Agbor/Owa town and its immediate suburbs of Alihame and Owa Alero communities with the intention of evaluating its quality
The studied metal ions concentration were below World Health Organization (WHO) guideline values
Summary
Water is a precious and most commonly used resource (Ramesh and Elango 2014). It is one of the most abundant chemical substances on earth, and covers two thirds of the earth’s surface (Ramesh and Elango 2014). Monitoring metals in surface or groundwater supplies provides background information needed to determine the suitability of water resources for human consumption (United Nations Environmental Programme Global Environmental Monitoring System and UNEP 2007). In Boji-Boji area of Agbor/Owa communities in Delta State Nigeria, groundwater is the dominant source of water for the people This resource is flagrantly consumed without recourse to its quality. Human and natural factors have been noted as making it difficult for these guideline values to be maintained generally (United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs and UNDESA 2001) In this exercise, we study some heavy metal characteristics in the groundwater from boreholes in Boji-Boji Agbor/Owa town and its immediate suburbs of Alihame and Owa Alero communities with the intention of evaluating its quality.
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