Physicochemical and bacteriological assessment of borehole water from Etsako west local government.

Abstract

One of the environmental determinants of health is the quality of drinking water, and water of good quality is void of impurities and pathogenic microbes. Poor quality water has deleterious effects on man's health and wholeness. Conducting a periodic evaluation to ascertain the likely water pollution in the environment is imperative. The study evaluated the physical-chemical parameters (pH, temperature, total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, total Hardness, Calcium Hardness, Magnesium Hardness, salinity, appearance, odour, Sulphate, Nitrate, Carbonate and Bicarbonate, Sodium, Calcium, and Magnesium contents), heavy metals (Cadmium, Arsenic, and Lead) concentrations and bacterial qualities (total heterotrophic bacteria count and total coliform count) of groundwater from twelve (12) boreholes in four different locations in Etsako West Local Government Area. All the physicochemical indicators analyzed in this study were within the recommended standards except for pH, which is acidic. The heavy metal concentrations and the total heterotrophic bacterial count mean values surpassed the WHO permissible limits. The research identified six genera of bacteria: Klebsiella spp, Staphylococcus spp, Streptococcus spp, Neisseria spp, Enterococcus spp, and E. coli. This study shows that groundwater quality from different boreholes across the LGA is unsuitable for consumption due to toxic metal contamination and high bacteria load. Therefore, there is a need for proper treatment of the water from different borehole sources by boiling or chlorination before consumption.

Key words: Contamination; drinking water; heavy metal; heterotrophic; physicochemical; quality