A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF WATER QUALITY IN THE KANO RIVER AND THE NEW TAMBURAWA TREATMENT PLANT IN KANO, NIGERIA

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Date
2011-06
Authors
MUKHTAR, IBRAHIM
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Abstract
The analysis of water in the Kano river was carried out to determine the concentration of three selected metals; Cu, Fe and Mn before and after treatment from January 2009 to September 2009. Water quality monitoring in developing countries is inadequate, especially in rivers affected by urban effluents and runoff from agricultural lands. As a result of findings by previous studies within the up- stream area of the drainage basin, especially by Akan et al, (2007), it was revealed that metals investigated were above the WHO standards for drinking water. This study was situated in the down- stream area of the drainage basin, where the Challawa River merges with the Kano River, so as to capture effluents probably not captured by the previous studies and to investigate the efficiency of the treatment plant in removing metal pollutants. The concentrations of the metals were determined using the spectrophotometer after digestion of both the raw and treated water samples using the Nitric acid digestion method. The result of the laboratory analysis revealed that the selected metals were present within the basin in varying concentrations across the seasons. Statistical analysis using the T-test revealed that there was significant difference in concentration of Cu between the treated and raw water during the dry season, but showed no significant difference during the rainy season. This implies better treatment in the dry season. Fe showed significant difference between raw and treated water in both seasons, this shows better efficiency in the treatment of the water for Fe. There was less reduction in the concentration of Mn across the seasons with no significant difference between raw and treated water. All observed concentrations for raw water were above the WHO standards, while the treated water concentration for Fe was above the international standard that of Mn and Cu were within WHO limits. Generally there was better reduction in concentrations of the pollutants in the dry season than the rainy season. Human activities and changing land uses have brought about the increase in the concentration of the selected metals. Even though the treatment plant reduces the metal concentrations it is still below the WHO standard.
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A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE POST-GRDUATE SCHOOL, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY ZARIA, IN PATIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE Master of Science (M.Sc.) DEGREE IN GEOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY ZARIA JUNE 2011
Keywords
COMPARATIVE,, ANALYSIS,, WATER,, QUALITY,, KANO,, RIVER,, NEW,, TAMBURAWA,, TREATMENT,, PLANT,, KANO,, NIGERIA
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