Seasonal Evaluation of the Physicochemical Properties of Some Boreholes Water Samples in Mile 50, Abakaliki Ebonyi State

Abstract

Water as excellent natural resource is meant to be of good quality to prevent the outbreak of water-borne diseases. The physical, chemical and biological qualities of water constitute groundwater quality. Water of poor physicochemical quality may have adverse effects on human health and the economy. The physicochemical evaluation of fifteen borehole waters in mile 50 Abakaliki was carried out during the rainy and dry seasons to determine their suitability for drinking using standard analytical methods. During the rainy season, the temperature was 28-30°C; pH, 6.63-8.51; dissolved solids, 1.04-17.01 mg/l; total suspended solids, 0.09-0.98 mg/l; total solids, 1.14-17.99 mg/l; electrical conductivity, 107-328 us/cm; turbidity, 1.27NTU-2.60 NTU total alkalinity, 27.68-82.23 mg/l; total hardness, 70.20-150.84 mg/l; total chloride, 67.30-124.14 mg/l; calcium hardness, 24.50-53.58 mg/l; magnesium hardness, 39.40-97.26 mg/l; sulphate, 30.03-61.88 mg/l; phosphate, 0.25-6.71 mg/l; potassium, 0.00-8.04 mg/l; nitrate, 1.16-8.03 mg/l; iron, 0.00-0.26 mg/l; lead, 0.00-0.05 mg/l; cadmium, 0.00-0.04 mg/l; copper, 0.00-0.23mg/l; chromium, 0.00-0.05 mg/l and zinc, 0.07-2.15 mg/l. During the dry season the temperature was 27-29°C; pH, 6.40-7.75; electrical conductivity, 24-149 us/cm; dissolved solids, 0.10-2.03 mg/l; total suspended solids, 0.02-0.29 mg/l; total solids, 0.13-2.64 mg/l; turbidity, 0.61NTU-1.90 total alkalinity, 19.96-55.97 mg/l; total hardness, 49.61-82.35 mg/l; total chloride, 26.31-80.72 mg/l; calcium hardness, 5.63-29.30 mg/l; magnesium hardness, 30.54-67.30 mg/l; sulphate, 13.88-39.18 mg/l; phosphate, 0.07-3.18 mg/l; potassium, 0.00-4.73 mg/l; nitrate, 0.44-4.95 mg/l; iron, 0.00-0.16 mg/l; lead, 0.00-0.02 mg/l; cadmium, 0.00-0.02 mg/l ; copper, 0.00-0.15 mg/l; chromium, 0.00-0.03 mg/l and zinc, 0.02-0.64 mg/l during the dry season. From the average 7% of cadmium and 33% of lead in the water samples were above the NIS required limits of 0.003 and 0.01mg/l respectively. Generally, the water from the borehole was of poor physicochemical quality and must be treated adequately before being used by humans.