Preliminary Investigation of Some Physicochemical Parameters and Water Quality of Imo River Nigeria

Abstract

Research on water quality of Imo River Nigeria was conducted between the months of June and September, 2011 to investigate the impact of some human and industrial activities on some physicochemical and bacteriological characteristics of the system. Industrial activities such as local sand dredging, cottage industries producing papers and cosmetics, construction of a jetty for marine activities and municipal waste discharge all take place at the bank of the river. Water and sediment samples were collected and analysed in the laboratory to ascertain the level of the concentration of the parameters being monitored. Standard methods were adopted for both field and laboratory analyses. For purpose of comparison the study was conducted in three stations (upstream, station A. midstream, station B and downstream, station, C). Water sample was also collected from tap water to act as a control for the potability fitness of the study area. The result of the mean concentrations of the parameters for water sample include: pH (6.25), conductivity (217.30µS/cm), temperature (26.13⁰c), TDS (123.67mg/l), TSS (67.67mg/l), Nitrate (3.93mg/l), Sulphate (5.67mg/l), Turbidity (105.65mg/l ), phosphate (0.33mg/l), BOD (12.13mg/l), Lead (0.98mg/l), Aluminum (0.47mg/l), Cadmium (0.02mg/l) and Chromium (0.0003mg/l). The mean concentration for sediments include pH (5.95), temperature (26.200c), Nitrate (10.3mg/l), Sulphate (1.105mg/l), phosphate (2.43mg/l), Iron (0.73mg/l), Copper (1.42mg/l), Manganese (0.34mg/l), Lead (1.56mg/l), Cadmium (0.04mg/l) and Chromium (0.005mg/l).

Key words: Imo River, water, sediments, parameters.