ABSTRACT
The study was carried out to evaluate the quality of groundwater from twenty (20) hand dug wells in Sapele, Delta State, with the aim of investigating its potability for human consumption. The water samples were analyzed for pHysico-chemical and biological parameters using standard techniques. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer technique was used to determine the following heavy metals Iron, Zinc, Manganese, Copper, Nickel, Cadmium, Vanadium, Chromium and Lead.
The physico-chemical analysis showed that pH was slightly acidic to neutral, electrical conductivity was below the recommended World Health Organization standard. Total Suspended Solid was above the World Health Organization standard. The concentration of heavy metals such as Zinc, Vanadium, Manganese and Cupper conformed to the World Health Organization recommended standard, however, the concentration of Nickel (0.02-0.16mg/L) was higher than that of the World Health Organization (0.02mg/L) recommended standard. Chromium showed values higher than that of World Health Organization recommended standard in two of the wells sampled. Lead and Cadmium not detected from the analysis. The biological analysis showed that fifteen (15) of the well, had bacteria load higher than that the of World Health Organization standard. The concentration of Nickel, and bacteria load found in the groundwater samples had altered the water for human consumption. Hence, it is of importance to treat, boil and filter the water before consumption.
