ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METALS CONCENTRATION IN GURARA RESERVOIR, KACHIA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA
ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METALS CONCENTRATION IN GURARA RESERVOIR, KACHIA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA
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Date
2018-11
Authors
ALESA, Awa Umoru
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Abstract
The aim of this study was to assessthe level of concentration of heavy metals in Gurara Reservoir, Kachia local Government Area Kaduna State and the results compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) standard for quality drinking water. Three research hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The study made use of six sample locations on the Gurara reservoir where water and sediment samples were collectedfor bothwet and dry season. Labelled as wet season water sample(WSWS),dry season water samples (DSWS),dry season sediment samples (DSSS) and wet season sediment sample(WSSS) respectively and taken to the laboratory of Defense Industrial Cooperation of Nigeria(DICON),Kaduna for analysis in order to assess the presence of heavy metals and their concentrations. Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS) was used to identify heavy metals present in the water while the X-ray fluorescence was used for the sediment samples. The following heavy metals were present in the water namely; Cadmium (Cd), Nickel (Ni), Cobalt (Co), Iron (Fe),Copper(Cu), Chromium (Cr), Manganese (Mn), Lead (Pb),Aluminium (Al), while the heavy metals present in the sediments are; Titanium (Ti),Vanadium (V), Chromium (Cr),Manganese (Mn),Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), Arsenic (As), Silver (Ag), Europium (Eu), Bismuth (Bi), Rhenium (Re), Aluminium (Al), Gold (Au), Nickel (Ni), Ytterbium (Yb), Lead (Pb), Platinium (Pt) and Mercury (Hg). It was observed that there were more presence and concentration of heavy metals in the sediments than in the water samples, this can be attributed to the fact that concentration tends to settle at the bottom. The concentration of heavy metals during dry season was higher than the concentration during wet season. The analysis of heavy metals concentration in the sediments and water samplesin sediment followed the order: Al, Fe, Bi, Pb, Ti, As, Hg, Ag, Pt, Au, Eu, Re, Cr, Mn, Ni, Yb, V, Cu and Al, Cd, Fe, Co, Cr, Mn, Cu, Pb, Nirespectively. Findings revealed that there weresignificant difference betweensomeof the physiochemical properties of water during the dry and wet seasons as the p-values for some of the elements were above 0.05 level of significance. The mean concentration (mg/l) of heavy metals in water samples during dry and wet seasons were calculatedand t-test result indicated that there aresignificant variation (p<0.05)in five heavy metals (Cd, Co, Fe, Cu and Mn) in water during the wet season in the study area when compared with the WHO standard with p-values less than or equal to 0.05 while heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Pb and Al) did not showsignificant value with p-values of 0.14, 0.56, 0.37 and 0.37 which werehigher than the 0.05 level of significance respectively. This implied that there was a variation betweenthe heavy metals and the WHO standards in some of the identified heavy metals tested during wet season.A careful analysis of heavy metals in dry season shows that there is a significant difference in some of the heavy metals of water during the dry season in the study area when compared with the WHO standard forlead,aluminiumand andnickel which shows not significant value with p-values of 0.15, 0.11, and 0.89 which are greater than the 0.05 level of significance respectively. This is an indication in that the water in the study area was relatively safe for drinking.
Description
A DISSERATION SUBMITED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER DEGREE IN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERITY, ZARIA, NIGERIA
Keywords
ASSESSMENT,, HEAVY METALS CONCENTRATION,, GURARA RESERVOIR,, ACHIA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA,, KADUNA STATE,, NIGERIA