ABSTRACT
This study determined the microbiological and physicochemical qualities of Umuariaga River in Ikwuano LGA of Umuahia. A total of 30 samples collected over a 10 day period from three different points of the river were analyzed. Total viable counts were enumerated and they ranged as follows; Total Heterotrophic Plate Count (1.7 × 101 to 7.8 × 101 for upstream, 1.1 × 103 to 5.9 × 103 for midstream and 1.4 × 103 to 3.8 × 103 for downstream), Total Coliform Plate Count (1.6 × 101 to 4.3 × 101 for upstream, 1.5 × 103 to 5.6 × 103 for midstream and 2.5 × 103 to 9.0 × 103 for downstream), Total Fungal Count (1.4 × 101 to 9.0 × 101 for upstream, 1.5 × 103 to 4.6 × 103 for midstream and 1.1 × 103 to 4.0 × 103 for downstream). The results showed that the midstream region had the highest viable counts and this could be attributed to high human and possibly animal activities in the region of Umuariaga River. Due to the relatively low coliform count in the upstream region, it was implied that the upstream region of Umuariaga River was quite fit and safe drinking. The physicochemical quality of the river was also studied. The parameters studied were pH, temperature, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids and conductivity and the results were observed to be well within the WHO standards. From this study, it can be said that Umuariaga River is not polluted and can be deemed fit and safe for drinking. However, proper treatment of the water is required as a safety measure before consumption.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgments iv
Table of contents v
List of tables ix
Abstract x
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Aim
and Objectives 3
1.1.1 Objectives 3
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW 4
2.1 Pollution 4
2.2 Water 4
2.3 Water
Pollution 5
2.3.1 Contamination
of Drinking Water 6
2.4 Water
Quality 6
2.4.1 Economic Effects of Water Quality 7
2.5 Classes
of Water Related Diseases 7
2.6 World
Health Organization (Who) Standards for Drinking Water 8
2.7 Typical Chemical Contamination 9
2.8 Types of Contaminants 10
2.9 Bacteriological Water Quality 11
2.10 Water Borne Pathogens and Diseases 11
2.11 Indicator
Organisms of Water Quality 13
2.11.1 Coliform Organisms (Total Coliform) 14
2.11.2 Thermotolerant Coliform Bacteria 15
2.11.3 Escherichia Coli 16
2.11.4 Faecal Streptococci and Enterococci 16
2.11.5 Clostridium Perfringens 18
2.11.6 Heterotrophic Plate Count 19
2.12 Use of Bacteria as Indicators of Pathogenic
Organisms in Water 20
2.13 Physicochemical Water Quality 21
2.13.1 Biochemical Oxygen Demand 23
2.13.2 Dissolved Oxygen 25
2.14 Physical Water Quality 26
2.14.1 Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) 26
2.14.2 pH 27
2.14.3 Turbidity 28
2.14.4 Electrical Conductivity (EC) 29
2.14.5 Temperature 29
CHAPTER THREE
MATERIALS AND METHODS 31
3.1
Study Area 31
3.2
Materials 31
3.2.1
Sterilization of Materials 31
3.2.2 Media
Used and Their Preparation 32
3.3 Sample Collection 32
3.4 Enumeration
of Microorganisms 32
3.4.1 Pour Plate Techniques 33
3.5 Microbiological
Analysis 33
3.5.1 Total Plate Counts 34
3.5.2 Total Coliform Count 34
3.5.3 Total Fungal Count 34
3.6 Chemical Tests 35
3.6.1 pH Test 35
3.6.2 Suspended Solid
Determination (SS) 35
3.6.2.1 Total Suspended Solids (TSS)
Determination 35
3.6.2.2 TDS Test (Total Dissolved
Solids) 35
3.6.3 Conductivity Test 36
CHAPTER FOUR
Results 37
4.1 Microbiological
Properties 37
4.2 Physicochemical
Properties 37
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 43
5.1 Discussion 43
5.2 Conclusion
and Recommendation 45
References 47
LIST
OF TABLES
|
TABLE
|
TITLE
|
PAGE
|
|
4.1
|
Total Viable Count (TVC)
at different Sampling Regions of Umuariaga River
|
39
|
|
4.2
|
Total Coliform Count (TCC) at different Sampling Regions
of Umuariaga River
|
40
|
|
4.3
|
Total Fungal Count (TFC)
at different Sampling Regions of Umuariaga River
|
41
|
|
4.4
|
Physicochemical
Properties of Water Samples from Umuariaga River over a 10-day Period
|
42
|
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Water
is an indispensable natural resource essential for the existence of all living
creatures. It is required for various human daily activities such as drinking, cooking,
tooth-brushing, bathing, washing utensils and also for agricultural and
industrial purposes. However, poor water quality continues to be a leading
cause of health problems especially in developing countries where it is
estimated that 80% of all illnesses are linked to water and sanitation and 15%
of all child deaths under the age of 5 years result from diarrheal diseases
(Thompson and Khan, 2003). Currently, an estimated 884 million people worldwide
do not use improved sources of drinking water and 2.6 billion are not provided
with adequate sanitation. The majority of these are in Southern Asia (25%) and sub-Saharan
Africa (37%). In Nigeria, increasing population and infrastructural breakdown
have made municipal pipe borne water to be inadequate in quantity and quality (Rahman
et al., 2001). Water
is abundant in nature and is an important part of the earthly environment,
covering about (75%) of the earth surface. It occurs as surface water in lakes,
streams, rivers, ponds, shallow aquifers, oceans, seas, ice caps, glaciers,
etc., and as ground water (when it accumulates in the ground) which is obtained
as spring water, well water, and borehole water. Small amount of gases like N2, O2 and CO2 in the
atmosphere are contained in all natural water. Water is made up of two element,
hydrogen and oxygen and is the most popular solvent as it has the ability to
dilute many chemicals. Water also has tremendous heat absorbency and plays an
important role in the physiology of both flora and fauna (plant and animals)
and also in their metabolic processes (Golterman, 2008).
Today,
less than 30% Nigerians have access to safe drinking water due to these
inadequacies and most of the populations have to resort to drinking water from
wells and streams especially in the rural and suburban communities (Zvidzai et al., 2007). These water sources are
largely untreated and might harbor waterborne and vector-borne diseases such as
cholera, typhoid fever, diarrhea, hepatitis and guinea worm. These diseases are
caused by pathogenic bacteria, viruses, protozoa and other microbes which are shed
in human faeces and pollute water supplies which people utilize for drinking
and washing purposes (Fenwick, 2006).
Water is essential
natural resources as it is impossible for life to exist without water and most
manufacturing industries cannot function in its absence. An essential
pre-requisite for the establishment of a stable community is the presence of
safe and reliable sources of water. Water pollution is a change in the quality
of water which renders it unstable or dangerous as regards foods, man and
animal health, industry, agriculture, fishing or leisure. However, before the
advent of industrialization, the degree of contamination of water by pollutant
was low. New age activities like manufacturing process led to pollution of
service water source. Typical example is the location of chemical industries at
river banks with effluent released into the river. Sewage disposal into water
bodies, as is practiced in Lagos lagoon, leaves streams and rivers polluted
(Okonkwo, et al., 2009).
Many
rivers, streams and wells worldwide are affected by faecal contamination
leading to increased health risks to persons exposed to the water, degradation
of recreational and drinking water quality (Obiri-Danso et al., 2009). Pollution of river waters with pathogenic
microorganisms has been on steady increase in the recent past. The major source
of microbes in water is faeces from human and other mammals (Abednego et al., 2013). Entry of pathogens into
rivers can occur either from a point source, non- point sources or both.
Non-point source microbial pollution of rivers occurs from rain water surface
run-offs, storm sewer spillages or overflow, while point-source pollution comes
from discharge of untreated or partially treated effluents from waste water
treatment plants (Donovan et al.,
2008). One of the most frequent types of contamination in rural communities is
faecal pollution from different sources, most frequently livestock and
inadequate on-site human waste disposal systems (Fellheim and Raddum, 2007).
Microbiological contamination, is therefore dispersed, sporadically and
influenced by a range of interacting environmental factors such as the water
sheds physical characteristics, climatic conditions and the activities of man
like waste disposal and agricultural management practices (Ezekwe et al., 2013). Therefore this study
investigated microbial load and physicochemical quality of Umuariaga River,
Umuahia.
1.1
Aim and Objectives
The aim of this work is to determine
the physicochemical and microbiological qualities of Umuariaga
River in Ikwuano LGA, Abia State.
1.1.1
Objectives
1.
To determine the physical
and chemical characteristics of Umuariaga River to
identify the sources of pollution to the River.
2. To
determine the microbiological quality of Umuariaga River.
3. To
discuss the possible implications of the physicochemical properties of Umuariaga River.
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