Assessment of the Seasonal Impact on Physicochemical Quality of Borehole Water Samples in Emene, Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract

Physicochemical parameters are integral parts of water quality measurement. Elevated levels of these parameters in water are a public health hazard. Since the majority of the residents of Emene rely on water from boreholes for drinking and household purposes, water samples from fifteen boreholes in the area were studied in order to assess the impact of seasons on physicochemical quality of borehole water samples in Emene, Enugu State Nigeria using standard methods. Three samples were collected from each borehole each month during both seasons. The physicochemical characteristics were evaluated and compared with the WHO Standards during the dry and wet seasons. The pH ranged from 5.18 to 5.30, temperature, 27.53 to 28.87 ℃, electrical conductivity, 32.13 to 35.96 μS/cm, total dissolved solids, 0.95 to 2.10 mg/L, total suspended solids, 0.24 to 2.06 mg/L, total solids, 0.46 to 1.20 mg/L, acidity, 5.90 to 6.17 mol dm-3, alkalinity, 10.33 to 11.82 mg/L, dissolved oxygen, 6.10 to 6.52 mg/L, chemical oxygen demand, 6.43 to 53.34 mg/L, lead, 0.05 to 0.14 mg/L, cadmium, 0.02 to 0.04 mg/L, iron, 0.01 to 0.03 mg/L and arsenic, 0.13 to 0.16 mg/L during both seasons. The dissolved oxygen, chemical oxygen demand, cadmium, lead and arsenic values were higher than the recommended limits during both seasons. There is need for regular monitoring of the physicochemical quality to avert the health hazards associated with heavy metals and other chemicals contamination.