SPATIAL ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACTS OF WATER QUALITY ON PUBLIC HEALTH OF RESIDENTS IN THE NIGER DELTA BASIN, NIGERIA

Abstract

The present study assessed the impact of water quality on public health challenges of residents in the Niger Delta basin. Mixed research design was adopted in this study. Nun River, Sagbama River, Andoni River, New Calabar River and Forcados River were purposively selected for the study. Grab method was used to collect the water samples. In each selected rivers selected, three water samples were collected at three different sampling points. The sampling points were about 500meters apart from each other. Samples were collected against the flow of the water, where any flow was discernible. Water samples were collected at about 10-20cm depth. Determination of water quality was conducted in the laboratory. Case notes of patients were retrieved and assessed for diagnosis of various water-related diseases and outbreak. Descriptive statistics was used in the course of data analysis for the present study. Water quality benchmarks were used to compare water quality whiles the Water Quality Index (WQI) was calculated using the Weighted Arithmetic Index method. Laboratory results of water quality analyses indicates that almost all the water quality parameters measured parameters were above the acceptable water quality standards which implies that the water is polluted. Seasonal variations were observed in the concentrations of various water quality parameters. While most of the parameters showed higher concentrations during dry season when water volume is low, others showed lower concentration when the water volume is relatively low. Based on the results, it becomes expedient to discontinue the practice where surface waters are used as a receptacle for the dumping of all sorts of waste. There is the need for regular surveillance of rivers within the Niger Delta to safeguard the users of this vital resource.