Physico-Chemical and Bacteriological Evaluation of Water Bodies in Quarry Sites in Ishiagu Ebonyi State.
ABSTRACT
Analysis of the physico-chemical and bacteriological properties of water bodies in Ishiagu Ebonyi State were investigated between April and November 2013, to assess the extent of contamination of these water bodies as a result of the quarry and mining activities in the study area.
These sites were investigated during the rainy season and dry season of the research period.
Standard analytical methods were employed in the study and the World Health Organization (WHO) maximum acceptable standards for potable water were used to evaluate the degree of potability of the water bodies as well as evaluate possible public health implications.
Major microbial species isolated in batches A, B and C include Flavobacterium species, Bacillus species, Streptomyces species, Staphylococcus species, Escherichia coli, Corynebacteriums species, Enterococcus species, Klebsiella species, Streptococcus species, Salmonella species, Citrobacter species, Aeromonas species, Pseudomonas species, Actinomyces species.
Batch D in addition, had Vibrio species and Spirillium species. Batch A (quarry site end) sample point A2 yielded the highest total coliform count of 8.0 x 102 cfu/ml in nutrient agar culture and 1.7 x 10 cfu/ml in Eosin methylene blue (EMB) culture in the dry season whereas in the rainy season, it was sample point A3 that yielded as high as 17.2 x 102 cfu/ml in nutrient agar culture and 11.8 x 102 cfu/ml in EMB culture.
Batch B (midstream) sample point B1 yielded 4.8 x 102 cfu/ml in nutrient agar culture and 1.5 x 10 cfu/ml in EMB culture in the dry season, whereas in the rainy season, sample point B3 yielded as high as 12.6 x 102 cfu/ml in nutrient agar culture and 9.8 x 102 cfu/ml in EMB culture.
Batch C (community end) sample point C3 yielded 8.3 x 102 cfu/ml in nutrient agar culture and 3.8 x 10 cfu/ml in EMB culture in the dry season while sample point C1 yielded 5.5 x 103 cfu/ml in nutrient agar culture and 4.7 x 10 cfu/ml in EMB culture in the rainy season.
Batch D (excavation pit) sample point D3 yielded as high as 8.9 x 10 cfu/ml in nutrient agar culture and nil in EMB culture in the dry season, while in the rainy season, it yielded 4.8 x 102 cfu/ml in nutrient agar culture and 4.0 x 102 cfu/ml in EMB culture.
The pH of batches A, B, and C ranged from 6.0 – 7.4, whereas that of batch D was 5.3 – 5.9 which is below the WHO permissible standard.
Electrical conductivity 20 – 36 μScm-1, Turbidity (11.3 – 18.9NTU), Total hardness (100.7 – 180.5 mg/l), Total dissolved solids 42 – 181 mg/l), Alkalinity (30 – 121 mg/l), Phosphate (0.1 – 0.5 mg/l), Sulphates (8.05 – 35.80 mg/l), Zinc (0.03 – 0.9 mg/l), Manganese (0.01 – 0.1 mg/l), of all water samples analyzed were within the WHO maximum permissible limit while Nitrates (0.05 – 15.9 mg/l).
Calcium (0.2 – 67.5 mg/l), Iron (0.02 – 16.4 mg/l), Copper (1.4 – 20.1 mg/l), Cadmium (0.01 – 0.7 mg/l), Arsenic (0.02 mg/l), and Lead (0.06 – 16.4 mg/l), in some of the samples analyzed were above the WHO maximum permissible limit.
Pearson moments correlation was used to statistically analyze the data generated and values were considered significant at p < 0.05.
The mean total bacterial count for wet season was 11.5 x 102cfu/mlwhile for the dry season, it was 7.0 x 102cfu/ml. Variance in seasonality was significantly different as total bacterial count was higher in the wet season than in the dry season.
The results revealed that virtually all the water bodies examined were contaminated by at least three bacterial species, which may be pollutioninduced as a result of both domestic and mining/quarry activities in Ishiagu.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE . . . . . . . . . i
CERTIFICATION . . . . . . . ii
DEDICATION . . . . . . iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT . . . . . iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS . . . . . . v
LIST OF TABLES . . . . . . . viii
LIST OF FIGURES . . . . . . . x
ABSTRACT . . . . . . . . xi
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Aims and Objectives . . . . . . 4
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Mining and Water Pollution . . . . . 5
2.2 Negative Impacts . . . . . . 6
2.3 Wastes from the Mining Process . . . . 7
2.4 Types of Water Pollution from Mining . . . 7
2.5 Water Quality . . . . . . . 8
2.6 What can be Done . . . . . . 9
2.7 Springs . . . . . . . 10
2.8 Streams . . . . . . . 10
2.9 Boreholes and Wells . . . . . . 11
2.10 Public Water Supply Systems . . . . 11
2.11 Principal Water Contaminants . . . . 11
2.12 Lead . . . . . . . . 12
2.13 Nitrates . . . . . . . 12
2.14 Copper . . . . . . . 12
2.15 Chromium . . . . . . , 13
2.16 Manganese . . . . . . . 13
2.17 Iron . . . . . . . . 14
2.18 Arsenic . . . . . . . 15
2.19 Cadmium . . . . . . . 16
2.20 Impact of Contamination in Quarry Water Bodies . . 17
2.21 Factors that Influence Contamination Potential . . 17
2.22 Water Resources of Ebonyi State . . . . 18
2.23 Ground Water Exploitation . . . . . 19
2.24 Spring Water Exploitation . . . . . 20
2.25 Surface Water Exploitation . . . . . 20
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS
3.1 Study Area . . . . . . . 22
3.2 Sampling Sites . . . . . . 22
3.3 Methodology . . . . . . . 22
3.4 Sample Collection . . . . . . 22
3.5 Equipment and Glass Wares . . . . . 23
3.6 Chemical Reagents . . . . . . 23
3.7 Scope of the Work . . . . . . 23
3.8 Physiochemical Parameters . . . . . 25
3.8.1 Total Dissolve Solids (TDS) . . . . . 25
3.8.2 pH . . . . . . . . 25
3.8.3 Conductivity Test . . . . . . 25
3.8.4 Temperature (°C) . . . . . . 25
3.8.5 Titratable Acidity (TA) . . . . . 25
3.8.6 Tritatable Alkalinity (TAL) . . . . . 26
3.8.7 Colour . . . . . . . 26
3.8.8 Odour . . . . . . . . 26
3.8.9 Total suspended solids . . . . . 26
3.8.10 Turbidity Test . . . . . . . 27
3.8.11 Test for Nitrates . . . . . . 28
3.8.12 Test for Phosphate . . . . . . 28
3.8.13 Test for Sulphates . . . . . . 28
3.8.14 Test for Carbonate . . . . . . 29
3.8.15 Determination of Trace Metals . . . . 29
3.9 Microbiological Studies . . . . . 30
3.9.1 Enumeration and Detection of Bacteria . . . 30
3.9.2 Pour Plate Technique . . . . . . 30
3.9.3 Total Plate Counts . . . . . . 30
3.9.4 Coliform Count . . . . . . 31
3.9.5 Presumptive Tests . . . . . . 31
3.9.6 Probability Tables (McCrady) . . . . 32
3.9.7 Confirmative Test . . . . . . 32
3.9.8 The Completed Tests . . . . . . 32
3.10 Biochemical Tests for Identification of Microbial
Isolates . . . . . . . 32
3.10.1 Gram reaction . . . . . . . 32
3.10.2 Indole test . . . . . . . 33
3.10.3 Methyl red test . . . . . . 33
3.10.4 Voges-Proskauer (V-P) test . . . . . 33
3.10.5 Citrate utilization test . . . . . . 34
3.10.6 Oxidase test . . . . . . . 34
3.10.7 Catalase test . . . . . . . 34
3.10.8 Coagulase test . . . . . . . 34
3.10.9 Spore staining . . . . . . . 35
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 RESULTS
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0 DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Discussion . . . . . . . 57
5.2 Conclusion . . . . . . . 64
5.3 Recommendations . . . . . . 65
References . . . . . . . 68
Appendix . . . . . . . 74
INTRODUCTION
Ekpo (1990) observed that despite the abundance of water resource reservoir in Nigeria, available potable water is far from meeting the needs of the masses. Access to potable water is one of the major problems confronting developing countries and contributes significantly to the disease burden and ill health.
Good water is usually characterized by absence of colour, turbidity, taste, corroding and staining substances as well as disease-causing organisms (Egborge and Benka, 1986; Mark and Williams, 2000).
Unavailability of potable water to both rural and urban dwellers in Nigeria, coupled with increased pollution due to industrial activities and waste/sewage run-offs, is a cause for major concern (Otuu, 2010).
When river water mixes with seawater, a large number of physical and chemical processes take place, which may influence water quality. The quality of surface water is a very sensitive issue.
REFERENCES
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Alaskans for Responsible Mining, (2004). Fact Sheet Update. Retrieved from http://www.miningwatch.ca/files/ARM_ Envt_Impacts_Fact_Sheet_0.pdf.
Alegria, A., Barbera, R., Boluda, R., Irrecalde, R., Farre, R., and Largada, M.J., (1991). Environmental Cadmium, Lead and Nickel Contamination. Possible Relationship Between Soil and Vegetable Content. Fresenius Journal of Analytical Chemistry 339: 651 – 657.
Allan, H.S., Elena O.L., and Mahfuzar R. (2000). “Contamination of drinkingwater by arsenic in Bangladesh: a public health emergency”. World Health Organisation. Retrived from http://www.who.int/docstore/bulletin/pdf/2000/issue9/bu0751.pdf. 1093
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