Quantification of Pollutant Levels in Water, Sediment and Winkles in Akani Obio Uruan River, Nigeria

Emmanuel Isaac Uwah,Essien Daniel Udosen,Emem Michael Edem,Iboroakam Essien Udosen,Okon Monday Udoidiong

doi:10.11648/j.sjac.20200802.12

Abstract

The levels of some trace metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn) were quantified in water, sediment and two species of winkles (Pachymelania bryonensis and Pachymelania fusca mutans) in Akani Obio Uruan River from August to September 2018 (wet season) and February to March 2019 (dry season), using Varian spectra 100 atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The levels of some physicochemical parameters (temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solid (TDS), nitrate, sulphate and phosphate) were equally quantified in water. From the results, Cd level of 0.088 mg/l in water was higher than those of the other trace metals investigated. Accordingly, Cu level of 0.602 mg/kg in sediment was higher than 0.017 mg/kg in water and 0.077 mg/kg in one species of the winkles. Zn level of 0.141 mg/kg in one species of the winkles was higher than those of the other metals. In general, the levels of most of the metals were higher in all the samples during the wet season. This could be attributed to excessive water run-off during the wet season which could have resulted to the leaching of various kinds of wastes into the water bodies. Interestingly, the levels of all the trace metals investigated in all the samples were below the maximum acceptable limits stipulated by WHO and the US environmental protection agency (USEPA). Physicochemical examination revealed that the levels of pH, temperature, TDS, EC, nitrate and sulphate were below the maximum permissible limits set by WHO. The levels of DO and phosphate in the water were however higher. This may have deleterious effect on aquatic ecosystem and the health of the rural dwellers that consumed the winkles and use the river water directly for domestic purposes without treatment.

Highlights

Water pollution is any form of damage to the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water which affects the quality and suitability for any designated use or purpose [1]
Some of the metals exhibited weak positive or negative correlations with each other, indicating that they are being influenced by different sources of pollution in the same or opposite direction
Based on the analyses and results, it is worth concluding that the water and sediment samples as well as the two species of winkles (Pachymelania bryonensis and Pachymelania fusca mutans) analysed in this study contain variable levels of the investigated trace metals and physicochemical parameters

Summary

Introduction

Water pollution is any form of damage to the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water which affects the quality and suitability for any designated use or purpose [1]. The issues protection of water sources against faecal, agricultural and industrial contamination or pollution which is continually threatening the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems due to increasing inputs of untreated wastes and chemical agents that are capable of causing damage to the environment are of great concern [2]. Rivers are of both ecological and economic significance to society. The toxic trace metals are the most common environmental chemical contaminants and the most often polluted environmental phases are the aquatic systems. The most common pathway by which aquatic systems receive wastes is, by direct discharge of urban and industrial wastes

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Conclusion