Determination of Physicochemical Parameters of Effluents at Discharge Points into the New Calabar River along Rumuolumeni Axis, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Niger Delta, Nigeria

Abstract

Water samples collected from three effluents discharge points into the New Calabar River were analyzed for physicochemical parameters using standard methods. The physicochemical parameters analyzed were colour, odor, temperature, pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity, total suspended solids (TSS), dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), sulphate (SO4), nitrate (NO3), phosphate (PO4) and chloride (Cl-). The result obtained showed that at Iwofe Jetty the water was colourless and odorless but had slight colour and odor at the police post station and Minipiti station. The range for the parameters obtained in the seasons were: temperature (26.4 ± 1.10-29.0 ± 2.38°C), pH (3.43 ± 0.24-5.06 ± 1.42), conductivity (11.60 ± 2.68-15.61 ± 3.01 μS/cm), TDS (6.53 ± 0.56-8.89 ± 0.98 mg/L), turbidity (9.42 ± 2.68-17.90 ± 3.09 mg/L), TSS (20.53 ± 3.27-33.51 ± 6.25 mg/L), DO (2.62 ± 0.02-5.02 ± 0.31 mg/L), BOD (4.28 ± 1.08-6.11 ± 1.33 mg/L), COD (13.54 ± 3.93-19.16 ± 2.10 mg/L), SO4 (65.92 ± 12.50-346.72 ± 23.22 mg/L), NO3 (0.32 ± 0.01-0.53 ± 0.04 mg/L), PO4 (0.34 ± 0.01-0.68 ± 0.03 mg/L) and Cl(4041 ± 80.50-9411 ± 100.68 mg/L). Generally, the result indicated that colour, odor, pH, turbidity, DO, BOD, COD, and Cldo not meet the WHO standard for portable water, therefore the water is polluted. The authorities responsible for effluents discharge regulation should therefore monitor the different input sources in order to prevent further increase in pollution of the river.