Complete Material Cost #3,000
Order for Complete Material now
ABSTRACT
Physico-chemical and bacteriological analysis of borehole waters in Oyigbo West, Oyigbo Rivers State was carried out using standard methods. The result for physico-chemical analysis revealed that pH value ranged from 4.5 – 6.0, alkalinity ranged from 10-40mg/l. conductivity ranged from 50 -129µs/cm, turbidity ranged from 0.020 –0.252NTU and hardness ranged from 4-6mg/l. Bacteriological analysis showed fecal coliform count ranged from 3-4(MPN/100ml), total coliform 3-15(MPN/100ml) and total heterotrophic bacteria count ranged from 4.8 to 6.4 (cfu/ml) ×104. This study suggests that the borehole water samples were within W.H.O and NSDWQ specified limits for physico-chemical parameters apart from pH that is below the limit, the bacteriological parameters analyzed were above W.H.O and NSDWQ limit which considers the water not safe for drinking and but maybe used for other domestic purposes. There is need for treatment of the borehole water from this area to reduce the risk of infection.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
COVER PAGE. i
TITLE PAGE. ii
DECLARATION iii
CERTIFICATION iv
DEDICATION v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS viii
LIST OF FIGURES xi
LIST TABLES xii
CHAPTER ONE 1
INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY 1
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 5
1.3 AIM/OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 5
1.4 SCOPE OF STUDY 6
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 6
1.6 DEFINITION OF TERMS 7
CHAPTER TWO 8
LITERATURE REVIEW 8
2.1 WATER 8
2.2 CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF WATER 9
2.3 WATER AND HABITABLE ZONE 11
2.3.1 SOURCES OF FRESH WATER 11
2.3.1.1 SURFACE WATER 11
2.3.1.2. GROUNDWATER 11
2.4. BOREHOLES 12
2.5 WATER QUALITY 12
2.6. WATERBORNE DISEASES 13
2.6.1 ROUTES FOR TRANSMISSION OF WATER BORNE DISEASE 14
2.6.1.1 WATER-BORNE DISEASES 14
2.6.1.2 WATER WASHED DISEASES 15
2.6.1.3 WATER-BASED DISEASES 16
2.6.1.4. INSECT VECTOR BASED OR WATER RELATED DISEASES 16
2.7. WATER POLLUTION 17
2.7.1 SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION 18
2.7.2 UNDERGROUND WATER POLLUTION 20
2.7.3 EFFECT OF WATER POLLUTION 20
2.7.4 WATER QUALITY AND EFFECT ON HEALTH 22
2.8 MICROBIOLOGICAL POLLUTION OF WATER 24
CHAPTER THREE 26
MATERIALS AND METHOD 26
3.1 STUDY AREA/ SAMPLING LOCATION 26
3.2 SAMPLING 26
3.3 STERILIZATION OF MATERIALS 27
3.4 PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES ANALYSIS 27
3.4.1 DETERMINATION OF pH 27
3.4.2 DETERMINATION OF CONDUCTIVITY 27
3.4.3 DETERMINATION OF TOTAL HARDNESS 28
3.4.4 DETERMINATION OF ALKALINITY 28
3.4.5 DETERMINATION OF TURBIDITY 29
3.5 BACTERIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS 29
3.5.1 PREPARATION OF MEDIA 29
3.5.1.1 PREPARATION OF NUTRIENT AGAR 29
3.5.1.2 PREPARATION OF MACCONKEY BROTH 30
3.5.2 TOTAL HETEROTROPHIC BACTERIA 30
3.5.3 DETERMINATION OF TOTAL AND FECAL COLIFORM 31
3.5.3.1 PRESUMPTIVE TEST 31
3.5.3.2 CONFIRMED TEST 32
3.5.3.3 COMPLETED TEST 32
CHAPTER FOUR 33
RESULT AND DISCUSSION 33
- RESULT 33
4.2 DISCUSSION 37
CHAPTER FIVE 41
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 41
5.1 CONCLUSION 41
5.2 RECOMMENDATION 42
REFERENCE 43
APPENDIX 47
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
Water is one of the most important and most precious natural resources, essential to all living organisms and to the most complex living system, the human body. Good drinking water is not a luxury but one of the most essential requirements of life itself. Water is fundamentally important to all plant, animals and man (Ajewole, 2005).
Water is a liquid at standard ambient temperature and pressure, but it often co-exists on earth with its solid state, ice and gaseous state (water vapor or steam).Water also exists in a liquid crystal state near hydrophilic surfaces. Water molecules contain one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bond (Ajewole, 2005).
Water covers 71% of the earth’s surface (CIA, 2008). On earth, 96.5% of the planet’s water is found in seas and oceans, 1.7% in groundwater, 1.7% in glaciers and the ice caps of Antarctica and Greenland, a small fraction in other large water bodies, 0.001% in the air as vapor clouds(formed of ice and liquid water suspended in air), and precipitation (Gleick, 1993).
Water of good drinking quality is of basic importance to human physiology and man’s continued existence depends very much on its availability (Lamikanra, 1999; FAO, 1997). Safe drinking water is a basic need of humanity. Lack of it leads to mobility and mortality, especially in local communities where chemical pollutants and water borne diseases are prevalent and persistent due to low quality groundwater and surface water (Basavarja et al, 2011). Physiologically, water is the medium for all biochemical reaction in man. Before water can be described as potable, it has to comply with certain physical, chemical and microbiological standards, which are designed to ensure that the water is palatable and safe for drinking (Tebutt 1998).
Water quality refers to the chemical, physical, biological and radiological characteristics of water (Diersing, 2009). It is a measure of the condition of water relative to the requirements of one or more biotic species and or to any human need or purpose. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which compliance, is generally achieved through treatment of the water, can be assessed. The most common standards used to assess water quality relate to health of ecosystems, safety of human contact and drinking water (Johnson et al, 1997).
An adequate supply of safe drinking water is one of the major prerequisites for a healthy life, but water borne disease is still a major cause of death in many parts of the world particularly in children and it is also a significant economic constraint in many subsistence economies. The basis on which drinking water safety is judged is national standards or international guidelines. The most important of these are the WHO guidelines for drinking water quality (Med 2003).
The transmission of diseases through drinking water is one of the primary concerns for a safe drinking water. Fecal pollution lf drinking water may introduce a variety of intestinal pathogens which may cause diseases from mild gastroenteritis, to severe and sometimes fatal dysentery, diarrhea, cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, giardiasis, etc. (Wanda, 2006).
Drinking water treatment as applied to public water supplies consists of a series of barriers in a treatment train that will vary according to the requirements of the supply and the nature and vulnerability of the source. Broadly, these comprise systems for coagulation and flocculation, filtration and oxidation. The most common oxidative disinfectants used chlorine. This provides an effective and robust barrier to pathogens and provides an easily measured residual that can act as a marker to show that disinfection has been carried out, and as a preservative in water distribution (Med, 2003).
Conformation of physicochemical and microbiological standards is of special interest because of the capacity of water to spread disease within a large population. Although, the standards vary from place to place, the objective anywhere is to reduce the possibility of spreading water borne diseases to the barest minimum in addition to being pleasant to drink, which implies that it must be wholesome and palatable in all respects (Edema et al., 2000).
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Due to the intense environmental and socio economic activities carried out within the area of study which includes but not limited to;
improper waste and sewage disposal
agricultural and illegal industrial activities
pollution due to leech and seepage of surface water
All of which are carried out without proper health or environmental guides and these activities has a direct impact on the ground water quality within the area, and public health. This issue necessitates the need for this study.
1.3 AIM/OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The aim of this study is to evaluate water quality of selected boreholes in Oyigbo West, Oyigbo L.G.A, Rivers State.
The specific objectives are;
- To evaluate physicochemical properties of borehole water samples.
To evaluate bacteriological properties of water samples.
To compare data with WHO and National Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ).
1.4 SCOPE OF STUDY
This study covers selected physicochemical parameters and bacteriological quality of 4 samples of borehole water collected from Oyigbo West, in Oyigbo L.G.A. of Rivers State.
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Borehole water is one of the major sources of drinking water in Oyigbo. Presently, Oyigbo local government officials do not provide the inhabitants of Oyigbo with potable water. As a result, there exists all manner of boreholes, both private and those meant to serve the populace. Oyigbo is mainly a settlement for most families with few industries, large number of Oyigbo populace utilize this water without caring for its quality.
1.6 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Physicochemical: concerned with, or relating to physical chemistry or both physics and chemistry which pertains to both physical and chemical properties, reactions and changes.
Flocculation: is a process wherein colloids come out of suspension in the form of floc or flake, either spontaneously or due to the addition of a clarifying agent.
Ambient pressure: is the pressure put on an object under atmospheric means such as a liquid or a gas. When an object comes in contact with this medium, a force is applied on it. Ambient pressure differs underwater and in the atmosphere.
Ambient temperature: is the temperature of the surrounding environment, especially as unaltered by direct human intervention.
Microbiological: refers to studies or tests relating to very small living things such as bacteria and their effects on people.