Abstract

Twenty water samples were obtained in Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria in order to determine the groundwater quality in the area. Thirteen samples were obtained from hand-dug wells, two samples were obtained from a spring while the remaining five samples were collected from boreholes. These samples were subjected to both physical and chemical analyses with a view to comparing the results obtained with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) standard for quality drinking water. The results of the physical parameters measured shows that the colour ranges from 5°H to 50°H, turbidity ranges from 2NTU to 40NTU and the electrical conductivity ranges from 2.2×10² mho/cm to 1.4×10³ mho/cm. Chemical analysis results on the other hand show that all the samples have pH within the weakly acidic range except for sample HDW 3 that falls within the weakly alkaline range. Furthermore, the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) range from 154 to 980 mg/L while the Total Hardness of the water samples range from 24 to 280 mg/L. Ionic studies show that the $Ca^{2+}, Na^+, K^+$ and $Mg^{2+}$ occur in order of decreasing abundance in the samples with the concentrations ranging from 10 to 160 mg/L, 20 to 90 mg/L, 10 to 90 mg/L and 14 to 150 mg/L, respectively. The anions present in the water samples in order of decreasing abundance are $HCO_3^-, Cl^-, SO_4^{2-}$ and $NO_3^-$ with their concentrations ranging from 44 to 292 mg/L, 10 to 77 mg/L, 0.01 to 50 mg/L and 0.01 to 4.0 mg/L, respectively. It has been shown that anthropogenic inputs can continually ruin the suitability of the water for safe drinking purpose. Therefore, the ability to quickly control the anthropogenic inputs to the groundwater system in Akungba Akoko area will assist in keeping the quality of groundwater in Akungba Akoko to be maintained.

Keywords:

Electrical conductivity, groundwater, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), turbidity,

References

Competing interests

The authors have no competing interests.

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