Abstract
Water samples were obtained from eight (8) different boreholes in Itu local government area, South-South of Nigeria. These samples were treated and analyzed using standard methods for their pH, temperature, turbidity, electrical conductivity (EC), total hardness (TH), dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni) levels. Mean levels of all the parameters determined in studied groundwater were within their safe limits except lead and cadmium. This study revealed that concentrations of Pb and Cd rendered water from the studied boreholes unsafe for human consumption considering the toxic nature of these metals. Variable correlations were observed among the studied physicochemical properties of water. Pollution index analysis also confirmed the hazardous nature of lead and cadmium in groundwater from studied boreholes. Proper treatment of studied boreholes to eliminate these toxic metals has been recommended as prolong consumption of this untreated water may eventually result in health problems associated with pb and Cd toxicities.
Highlights
Water is one of the most common essential resources to human on earth without which there would be no life on earth [1, 2]
Water covers over 70% of the earth surface ; accessibility to potable water by human beings is still a serious problem especially in the developing countries [3, 4, 5, 6, 7]
Despite the gross unavailability of potable water, most people still depend on groundwater for consumption, domestic, agricultural and industrial uses globally [8]
Summary
Water is one of the most common essential resources to human on earth without which there would be no life on earth [1, 2]. Despite the gross unavailability of potable water, most people still depend on groundwater for consumption, domestic, agricultural and industrial uses globally [8]. Water from borehole (groundwater) serves as the major source of drinking water in the local population of Nigeria, as only a few can afford the treated bottled water for consumption [13]. Notwithstanding the near total dependent on borehole water for human existence on earth, water from borehole is rarely treated in most developing nations thereby posing serious health risk to the consumers [14]. Untreated borehole water is rarely safe for human consumption; in most cases it causes skin and eye infections, cholera, dysentery, tuberculosis, typhoid, diarrhea, viral hepatitis A and even death to the consumers [18, 19, 20, 21]. Safe drinking (potable) water is that with microbial, chemical and physical
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
