TITLE:
Surface Water Quality Profiling Using Physicochemical Parameters in Open Defecation Free and Non-Open Defecation Free Local Government Areas in Benue State, Nigeria
AUTHORS:
Moses T. Asoo, Celestine U. Aguoru, Innocent O. Ogbonna, Hyacinth O.A. Oluma
KEYWORDS:
Open Defecation, Surface Water, Water Quality Standard, Physicochemical Parameters
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Modern Hydrology,
Vol.14 No.3,
June
24,
2024
ABSTRACT: Physicochemical parameters of surface water sources in the study of local government areas (LGAs) were assessed using standard procedures. The mean physicochemical parameters for pH (5.49), NO2 (0.23 mg/L), SO4 (0.77 mg/L), Na (28.72 mg/L), Ca (28.94 mg/L), Mg (17.50 mg/L), Cl (11.65 mg/L), TSS (6.27 mg/L), TDS (104.23 mg/L), BOD (2.83 mg/L) and F (0.87 mg/L) were below WHO standards irrespective of their defecation status. The values for electrical conductivity (EC) (2770.50 µs/cm, turbidity (481.24 NTU), dissolved oxygen (DO) (5.32 mg/L), chemical oxygen demand (COD) (445.50 mg/L), K (125.06 mg/L), PO4 (0.78 mg/L) and Fe (0.57 mg/L) were above the WHO limits for safe water. Higher EC and COD values obtained in the study is evidence of pollution of the water sources by organic matter.