MAJOR AND TRACE ELEMENT COMPOSITIONS IN GROUNDWATER OF AWE AREA, PARTS OF THE MIDDLE BENEUE TROUGH-NORTHCENTRAL NIGERIA

Abstract

A Hydrogeochemical study was carried out in Awe town and environs. The aim of the research was to determine the major, trace and rare earth elements content of the waters and their suitability for domestic, agricultural and industrial uses. Fifteen water sources from hand dug wells, a spring, pond and boreholes were collected and analysed. Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrophotometer was used to analyse the major cations trace elements and rare earth elements, Ion Chromatography was used to detect the anions and bicarbonate by titration method. In an attempt to determine the species of the trace elements in the waters, modeling was carried out using the WATEQ4F. Generally both the trace and the rare earth elements appear to be low in all the water sources and metal species obtain in the area indicate a dominantly reducing environment. Probable reasons for the low content of the trace elements may be the insolubility of their minerals, complexation , adsorption to clays and some oxides which has immobilized them. Chlorine/Bromine ratios indicate source of saline water (Cl/Br = 1,961) in the free flowing artesian borehole at Old Awe town to be evaporitic in origin. Four groundwater facies types were obtained in the study area; Ca+Mg-HCO3, Na+K-HCO3, NaCl, and Mg-SO4. Physico-chemical parameter, trace elements and their species determined in the area indicate that except for the acidity of the water, over eighty percent of water sources are fresh and soft and therefore good for general domestic uses. Percentage sodium, Sodium Absorbtion Ratios, magnesium hazards and salinity hazards also show that except for three sample locations, all other samples are within values recommended for agricultural purposes. Industries like Rubber manufacturing, sugar processing, textile mills, dairy product manufacturing and paper industry can be situated in the study area.