ASSESSMENT OF PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF WATER FROM ELEME RIVER, SOUTH-SOUTH NIGERIA

Abstract

This study evaluated the physicochemical characteristics of water from the Eleme river in Rivers State, South-South Nigeria, to assess the water quality in the river. To determine pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), total solids (TS), dissolved oxygen (DO), five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), total organic carbon (TOC), chloride ion (Cl-), calcium ion (Ca2+), magnesium ion (Mg2+), and potassium ion (K+) using their standard methods, water samples were collected at two different points: station 1 (S1) and station 2 (S2). The results show that EC (1221, 1410 ?- 1cm-1), TSS (312.78, 372.01 mg/l), DO (6.09, 5.95 mg/l), Cl- (1056.41, 1056.89 mg/l) and K+ (15.24, 14.84 mg/l ) for S1 and S2 respectively were observed to be above the permissible limits recommended by some government regulatory bodies. pH of the water from S1 and S2 are 6.10 and 6.72 respectively which indicates that S1 water is below the permissible limits while S2 water is within the limits and TDS (611.09, 619.90 mg/l) for S1 and S2 respectively were within the permissible limits while TS (923.87, 991.00 mg/l), BOD5 (4.87, 4.92 mg/l), TOC (190.41, 112.01 mg/l), Ca2+ (30.90, 38.22) and Mg2+ (23.71, 28.41 mg/l) for S1 and S2 respectively were below the permissible limits. The study has shown that large volumes of untreated industrial effluents and toxicological chemicals released into the Eleme river were the primary cause of pollution loading, which was attributed to EC, TSS, DO, Cl-, and K+.