GROUNDWATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT WITHIN THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA: PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES, HEAVY METALS POLLUTION INDICES, AND HEALTH RISK
Keywords:
Borehole, Heavy metals, Groundwater, Health Risk, Pollution Indices, Total hardnessAbstract
Access to potable water has become a perpetual problem to people worldwide; hence, their preferences shift to groundwater utilization for their socio-economic survival. This study assessed the physicochemical properties, heavy metal pollution indices and health risk assessment of groundwater quality within the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State, Nigeria. Twenty (20) groundwater samples were collected from 20 stations during the rainy season and analysed for physicochemical, heavy metals, and health risk characteristics using the standard methods. All sampled waters were clear, colourless, and odourless. Water pH samples ranged from 7.66 to 9.75; electrical conductivity ranged from 191.0 to 1110.0 μS/cm; total dissolved solid ranged from 95.0 to 555.0 mg/L and total hardness ranged from 1.58 to 5.63 mg/L. Levels of cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ and K+) in water samples ranged from 1.00 to 6.97 mg/L, 1.60 to 16.5 mg/L, 5.00 to 74.20 mg/L and 1.00 to 17.50 mg/L. Levels of anions (HCO3-, Cl- and SO42-) in wat er samples ranged from 1.20 to 6.20 mg/L, 18.00 to 334.00 mg/L and 1.13E-03 to 37.26E-03 mg/L, respectively. The concentrations of chloride ion (334.0 mg/L) and electrical conductivity (1110.0 μS/cm) in groundwater sample at FUNAAB Zoological Park (2) were higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) allowable limits of 250.0 mg/L and 1000 μS/cm for drinking water. Heavy metals analysis results showed that Al, Fe, Hg and Sc in six selected groundwater were above the WHO’s permissible limits. The total hardness, Ca, Mg, Na, K and Cl- had significant positive correlation with electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids. Pipe Plot Analysis revealed sodium and chloride as the groundwater type of the study area. Also, the pollution indices (HPI, HEI and Cd) for the majority of heavy metals in six selected groundwater were categorised as low contamination. Only cancer risk (CR) values of Fe were higher than the acceptable range of ≤ 1 x 10-6 to 1 x 10-4 set by the USEPA. Multivariate analysis predicted that lithogenic and anthropogenic factors were the probable sources of groundwater pollution of the heavy metal in the study area. Hence, there is a need for periodic monitoring and thorough treatment of all groundwater samples within the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; at least once in every two years to curb the incidences of contamination observed in this study.
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