Abstract
Groundwater is water beneath the surface of the earth. The primary source is precipitation from rain, snow, and hail. Groundwater commonly occurs as water that fills pore spaces between mineral or rock grains in sediments and sedimentary rocks. This study is to evaluate the physiochemical characteristics and selected heavy metal levels of Water from Hand Dug Wells in Ikiran-Ile in Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. A total of twenty (20) water samples were collected in very clean containers from twenty (20) locations in Ikiran-Ile village, and taken to the laboratory immediately for physical, chemical and heavy metal analysis using standard laboratory techniques. Results from the study, shows that the ground water is odorless and tasteless, soft to moderately hard, contains free carbon oxide and alkalinity is due to bicarbonate ions. Sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), Iron (Fe) bicarbonates (HC03) calcium (Ca2+) potassium (K+), and Magnesium (Mg2+) are the most abundant of the dissolved cations in the water, while lead (Pb), chromium (Cr) and zinc (Zn) have high concentration levels. These cations exceeded the W.H.O recommended limits. Dissolved solids in the samples are below recommended maximum limits by W.H.O. Samples also showed high bacteria load which primarily originated from effluent discharge from pit toilets and waste dumps and can constitute health risk on ingestion. Highly populated areas have groundwater with high concentration of dissolved ions and the converse for areas of low population. From the results of the analysis, conclusion is drawn to the fact that, the groundwater chemistry in the study area has been influenced greatly by human activities than the bedrock geology of the area. It is therefore recommended that well location should be at least, 30m away from any source of contamination such as soak-ways, adequate treatment must be given to well water such as chlorination, boiling to destroy any bacteria and filtration to remove all unwanted/undesirable constituents that may be present, and a policy on land use planning and urban development to guard against indiscriminate setting of wells within the centre of the village should be established. This study has been able to enhance sustainable water development, since the health of inhabitants in a community depends to a large extent on the quality of groundwater supply.Keywords: Groundwater, Physiochemical, Heavy metals, Ikiran-Ile
Highlights
MATERIALS AND METHODSDescription of study area: The study area is Ikiran-Ile and is located in Akoko Edo Local government area of Edo state
It is very important that proper measures be taken to avoid groundwater contamination and to enhance sustainable water development, since the health of inhabitants in a community depends to a large extent on the quality of groundwater supply
The objective of this study is to evaluate the physiochemical characteristics and selected heavy metal levels of Water from Hand Dug Wells in Ikiran-Ile in Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria, in order to educate the inhabitants of the area on any
Summary
Description of study area: The study area is Ikiran-Ile and is located in Akoko Edo Local government area of Edo state. General geology of the area: Ikiran-Ile is located at the Northern-Western part of Edo state; it is part of the basement complex of South-Western Nigeria. Rahman, (1976), reported that major groups of rocks can be recognized in the area and these includemigmatite-gneiss complex rock which comprises biotite and biotite hornblende gneiss, quartzites and quartz schist and small lenses of calcsilicate’ migmatized to unmigmatizedparaschists and meta igneous rock which consist of peliticschists, quartzitesamphibolites, arkose rocks, metaconglomerates, marbles and calc-silicate rocks, charnockitic rocks; older granites which comprise rocks and potassicsyenite; unmetamorphosed dolerite dyke believed to be the youngest. The rocks of the study area were affected by the pan African Orogeny which occurred between 700-750 Ma (Oloto and Anyanwu 2013).Two phases of folding believed to be related to the older granite orogeny (Pan- African) have been described affecting the gneiss-migmatite quartzite complex and the slightly migmatised to unmigmatisedschists and meta-igneous rock. The rainwater would not have had enough time to percolate through a sizeable soil column that will do the purification of the water before storage in the aquifer
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