Physio-chemical investigation and analyses of contaminants in groundwater flow. Case study - Papalanto, Ifo local government area, South - Western Nigeria, Ogun State

Abstract

Objectives: Groundwater is the primary source of drinking water for roughly, a third of the world’s population,but highly vulnerable to pollution. A thorough research was carried out to investigate the extent of groundwatercontamination on four active dumpsite and a control point at Papalanto, Abeokuta area, and South-WesternNigeria.Methods: Domestic wells in the area facilitated the resources for water chemistry. A total of five groundwatersamples were collected from wells located close to different dumpsite in the study area, to determine the extentof groundwater contamination. Physio-chemical analysis was carried out on the five water samples; the basicmethod adopted in the chemical analysis includes titrimetric method, atomic absorption spectroscopy andcalometric method.Results: The results showed that water quality parameter like temperature, pH, taste, odour, total solids,sulphate, copper, iron, zinc, cadmium and chromium are in appropriate standard prescribed by WHO andNSDWQ. Other physical parameters like color, turbidity, conductivity, total suspended solids, total dissolvedsolid, total hardness, total alkalinity, total acidity, calcium, magnesium, chloride, nitrite, manganese, lead,nickel, nitrate, have higher values than the authorized standard value, which directly or indirectly affect thewater content found in the area for drinking purpose. These features could be attributed to the possible activitiesof contaminants facilitated by leachate plume from the dumpsite.Conclusions: The study shows that the regolith aquifer in the area of study is highly vulnerable to pollutionfrom the refuse dumps. From the geophysical and physio-chemical analysis carried out, the values of mostparameters obtained in the water samples collected at locations close to the leachate have been confirmed tobe higher than those collected at locations away from the leachate. Hence, the groundwater near the leachateis confirmed contaminated.