Effects of human activities on water quality assessment of Ala River in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to assess the water quality parameters of Ala River found in Akure, Ondo State, Southwest, Nigeria. The river is considered one of the most important irrigation and drinking water resources in Akure, Nigeria. Three locations were chosen spatially along the watercourse to reflect a consideration of all possible human activities that are capable of affecting the quality of the river water. The water samples were collected monthly for three consecutive months (February to April 2015) at the three sampling sites. The water samples collected were analyzed for physicochemical parameters which include pH, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, total hardness, phosphate,  temperature,  calcium, magnesium, chlorine, nitrate, iron and zinc using standard methods and their environmental effects on the river were investigated. There were variations in the quality of the sampled water when compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) standards for domestic and commercial water for the selected parameters. The traces of some hazardous physical and chemical impurities in the river were above the acceptable limits, and thereby pose a health risk to several rural communities who rely heavily on the river primarily as their source of domestic water. Therefore, the law should be enforced to discourage unnecessary waste dumping and discharging of another form of pollutants into surface water in Nigeria.