IIARD International Institute of Academic Research and Development

IIARD INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (IJGEM )

E-ISSN 2504-8821
P-ISSN 2695-1878
VOL. 10 NO. 6 2024
DOI: Surface Water, anthropogenic, pollution, Physico-Chemical, parameters, water quality.

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Assessment of Water Quality of Aba River in Aba Area, Southeastern Nigeria, Using Water Quality Index Technique

Daniels-Azoma, A.E, Okeke, O.C., Ubechu, B.O., Amadi, C.C. and Ajayi, O.

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Abstract

Water is one of the ‘essentials’ for the sustenance of life on earth. Its availably and potability is of uttermost importance to human and environmental health as well as resource and environmental management. Water quality assessment is the evaluation of the physical, chemical and biological state of the water using result from measured Physico-Chemical and biological water quality parameters to ascertain the natural state of the water, effect of anthropogenic activities in the water, and its potability for various usage. Water Quality Index (WQI) is a mathematical approach of calculating a single value from multiple test results (Olubukola, et al., 2021); it is a single value that classifies an assessed water as either, excellent, good, poor, very poor or unfit for certain purposes. In this study, the assessment of water quality of Aba River in Aba area, South-eastern Nigeria, was done using Water Quality Index (WQI) technique. Water samples were collected for analysis from seven sampling points along Aba River where major anthropogenic activities of concern happen on a regular basis starting from the headwater of the Aba River which was located during reconnaissance field survey. Fifteen (15) water quality parameters were analyzed including the following: pH, Temperature (T), Electrical Conductivity (EC), Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Total Dissolved Solid (TDS), Nitrate (NO3-), Potassium (K), Phosphate (PO4-³), Total Hardness (TH), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Sodium (Na), Copper (Cu) and Total fecal Coliform, (TFC). Using Weighted Arithmetic Water Quality Index (WA-WQI), water quality index was calculated for the 7 sampling points based on insitu and laboratory measured concentrations of the above-mentioned water quality parameters. WQI of Aba River ranges from 76– 126 with an overall WQI of 87 and thus classified as very poor water quality. Following Federal Ministry of Environment (FMnEnv)

keywords:

10.56201/ijgem.v10.no6.2024.pg128.163

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