Assessment of Water Quality Parameters of River Doma, Farinruwa and Mada in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study was carried out on assessment of water quality parameters of river Doma , Farinruwa and Mada in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Water samples were collected from three sampling points of the three rivers in the month of February and analysed for trace metals,physiocochemical and microbiogical properties. The trace metals such as; Na, K, Cu, Mg, Fe, Ca, Zn, Ni, Cd, Pb, As, Se, Crand Mn were analysed using atomic absorption spectrophotometer method. Alkalinity, pH, temperature, turbidity, conductivity, total solids, total dissolved solids, suspended solids, and soluble anions such as phosphate, chloride, nitrate, bicarbonate, COD and BOD were the physiocochemical parameters analysed using standard techniques. Muellar Hinton and MacConkey agars were the media used to isolate the microorganisms. The results showed that Cd , As and Se were not at detectable range for all the river waters. While Cr was not detected in Doma river. Calcium was the most highly concentrated metal in these rivers followed magnesium. Most of the trace metals analysed were below the deleterious level in all the rivers except for Ni, Fe, Pb, Mn in all the rivers and Cr in Farinruwa and Mada rivers that were above the WHO standard while the physicochemical  and microbiological properties of water were within the required standard limit set by WHO for drinking water except for Mada and Doma rivers where the microbiological properties determined were above the standard limit set by WHO for drinking water. Since most of the trace metals and microbiological properties determined were above the recommended limit for drinking water, it therefore means that the usability of such waters for domestic purposes is not in any case recommended. Such waters must be properly treated by conventional method before they are consumed or put to any reasonable domestic applications.

Keywords: River water, Trace metals, physiocochemical, microbiological ,parameters