PHYSICOCHEMICAL ASSESSMENT OF AZUEKE STREAM, UMUDIKE, IKWUANO L.G.A., ABIA STATE

Water is a very precious and essential resource required for the existence of all living organisms on earth (Majumder and Dutta, 2014). Water quality is the general condition of a water body, which includes the chemical, physical and biological conditions of the water; usually in relation to its suitability for the desired use (Garg et al., 2009). Water quality is usually determined by the local geology, ecosystem and human activities among others (Ken-Onukuba et al., 2021). Human activities such as industrial activities, agriculture, large-scale urbanization, and various forms of waste discharges are some of the various sources of pollution to aquatic environment (Bouknana et al., 2014). Keke et al. (2020) observed that the reduction in the usefulness of water and its resources to both man and the aquatic biota is a major consequence of river pollution. Assessment of the physicochemical parameters is very important in order to understand the quality of water by comparing with standards (Abdouni et al., 2020). Water quality standard describes the quality parameters set for drinking water or any other purpose (Arokoya et al., 2014). As one of the most valuable resources to man and living organism, water is essential for the sustenance of life on earth and this is exemplified by its diversified uses which include washing, irrigation, cooking and drinking (Oboh and Agbala, 2017). The freshwater resources of Nigeria constitute about 12.4% of its total surface area (Dimowo, 2013). Water quality parameters are parameters in which the assessment of water quality is based and they are divided into three categories; physical parameters, chemical parameters and biological parameters. Some of the physicochemical parameters include turbidity, temperature, electrical conductivity (EC), total suspended solids (TSS), pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), nitrates, nitrites, phosphates, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), etc. Water is adjudged safe if these parameters fall within certain range that is tolerable by human when consumed; and also tolerable by living organism within the aquatic environment (SON, 2007).

The capacity of water source, especially surface water body, to sustain its potential depends on human activities within and around it. Surface water bodies have been significantly affected by anthropogenic activities, causing water quality deterioration, decreasing water availability and reducing the carrying capacity of aquatic life (Wang et al., 2012; Zhang et al., 2015; Harding et al., 2019).  Surface water body polluted by anthropogenic activities becomes less suitable or unfit for drinking, domestic uses, crop irrigation, fisheries, or other purposes. Assessment of water quality is very important to evaluate the “health” of ecosystems, to control environmental pollution and, hence, to maintain human safety (Anyanwu and Umeham, 2020).

Changes in the river water quality due to human activities are a cause of growing concern and require monitoring of the surface waters (Amah-Jerry et al., 2017). Studies have shown that most of the freshwater bodies globally are increasingly polluted as a result of anthropogenic activities, thus affecting the derivable ecosystem services (Gupta et al., 2005; Anyanwu, 2012; Goldschmidt, 2016; Amah-Jerry et al., 2017).

Anthropogenic activities result in significantly decrease of surface water quality of aquatic systems in watersheds (May et al., 2006). Rivers in a watershed play a major role in assimilating or carrying off municipal and industrial wastewater and runoff from agricultural land (Wang et al., 2007). Therefore, a river is a reflection of its watershed. River inflows contribute main pollutants to most lakes in a watershed, thereby tending to induce serious ecological and sanitary problems (Sigua and Tweedale, 2003; Kunwar et al., 2005). On the other hand, rivers constitute the main water resources for domestic, industrial, and irrigation purposes in a watershed (Yu and Shang, 2003). Pollution of surface water bodies, resulting from human activities, is a growing concern worldwide (Zhai et al., 2014; Hillel et al., 2015). Thus it is imperative to prevent and control river pollution and to have reliable information on the quality of water for effective management (Wang et al., 2007). For most watersheds with greatly varying topographical conditions, the water quality of rivers is characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity in space and time, due to the variety of land cover around them. This often makes it difficult to identify water conditions and pollution sources, which is necessary for effective pollution control and water resource management (Kunwar et al., 2005). In Nigeria, many streams and rivers, particularly those in urban and semi urban cities, get polluted as a result of the discharge of untreated wastewater and other organic wastes directly into them (Jaji et al., 2007; Osibanjo et al., 2011; Anyanwu, 2012).

The impact of these anthropogenic activities has been so extensive that the water bodies have lost their self-purification capacity to a large extent (Sood et al., 2008). Freshwater ecosystems have been used for the investigation of factors controlling the distribution and abundance of aquatic organisms. The physical and chemical characteristics of water bodies affect the species composition, abundance, productivity and physiological conditions of aquatic organisms (Bagenal, 2008).

1.1.2    Aim and Objectives

The aim of this study is to assess some physicochemical parameters of Azueke Stream, Umudike in relation to its suitability to support aquatic life.

The objectives are:

1.                  To assess the physicochemical parameters of Azueke stream and compared them with national standards

2.                  To assess the spatial and temporal variation of the parameters

3.         To identify the areas of major anthropogenic impacts on the stream.

1.2       Literature Review

Freshwater ecosystems are progressively more subjected to anthropogenic stressors in the forms of chemical and organic discharges, habitat alterations of the water channels and adjoining areas as well as land use changes and climate change (Goldschmidt, 2016). Surface water qualities of aquatic systems in watersheds have been significantly degraded due to anthropogenic activities (Anyanwu, 2012; Amah-Jerry et al., 2017; Mohammed and Bamarni, 2019). The water quality of the rivers is of considerable importance because they are generally used for multiple purposes (Venkatramanan et al., 2014). Freshwater bodies across the world have been subjected to intense human activities that have degraded the quality and utility of the water (Amah-Jerry et al., 2017). Water pollution is a serious problem in developing countries; adequate monitoring of water quality is necessary to appraise the suitability, assist management and control (Kozaki et al., 2020). The quality of the aquatic ecosystem and the ecological effects of human activities can be predicted by the assessment of its biological communities (Santos and Ferreira, 2020).

Water is the most important natural resource and valuable natural asset which form the major constituent of the ecosystem. Water plays a vital role in the existence of life and various sector of the economy such as agriculture, livestock production, forestry, industrial power generation, fisheries and other creative activities (Tyagi et al., 2013). Therefore, water quality assessment is an issue in the nation. The quality of water sources deteriorates due to point source and non-point source pollution. Point source pollution includes industrial effluents and discharges from municipal waste water treatment plant while nonpoint source pollution includes agricultural runoff, seepage of septic tank effluents into ground water, indiscriminate dumping of wastes into streams and rivers among others.

Assessment of the physicochemical characteristics of rivers is necessary in order to determine the water quality status of a river. The physical and chemical characteristics of water bodies affect the species composition, abundance, productivity and physiological conditions of aquatic organisms (Umeham et al., 2012). Due to recent expansion in human population, industrialization, agricultural activities, a lot of wastewater discharged into the rivers and streams; resulting in deterioration of water quality (Aikins and Boakye, 2015; Amah-Jerry et al., 2017). Many researchers have carried out studies into the extent and impact of human activities and the implications for our aquatic resources (Anyanwu and Ukaegbu, 2019; Forio and Goethals, 2020; Ken-Onukuba et al., 2021; Anyanwu et al., 2022a, b).

1.2.1    Key physico-chemical parameters 

The key physical parameters of water include; temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, turbidity, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen and others (Basavaraja Simpi et al., 2011).

Water temperature controls a wide range of biological processes in a river system and is also considered an important water quality indicator (Harvey et al., 2011). Naturally water bodies show changes in temperature daily and seasonally due to different activities that can contribute to changes in surface water temperature (Dallas, 2008). It regulate metabolism in aquatic organisms; respiration rates increase leading to increased oxygen consumption and increased decomposition of organic matter in warm waters (Angelier, 2003).

pH is an indication of the relative quantity of free hydrogen and hydroxyl ions in the water or whether the water is acidic or basic (Kale, 2016). Chemicals in the water can affect pH; therefore, pH is an important indicator of water that is changing chemically (Peck Yen and Rohasliney, 2013).

Turbidity is caused by suspended materials which include mud, sand, organic and inorganic materials, plankton and other microscopic organisms (Kale, 2016), which interferes with light penetration in the water column. Turbidity hinders light penetration and in turn limits photosynthesis in the bottom layer; elevated turbidity can result in temperature and DO stratification and generally aesthetically unpleasing (Kale, 2016).

Electrical conductivity is an indication of the ability of water to conduct electricity. It is sensitive to variations in dissolved solids, mostly mineral salts (Muhammad et al., 2013). Electrical conductivity is influenced by a number of factors like the degree to which dissolved solids (mineral salts) dissociate into ions, the extent of electrical charge each ion bear, mobility of ion as well as  the temperature of the solution (Said et al., 2012).

Total Dissolved Solid (TDS) is the amount of inorganic salts, organic matter and other dissolved materials in water (Afrin et al., 2011). In natural waters, concentrations of TDS are influenced by the geology, atmospheric precipitation and water balance. TDS contain minerals and organic molecules that are beneficial like as nutrients or detrimental like toxic metals and organic pollutants (Weber-Scannell and Duffy, 2007). 

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is the amount of oxygen dissolved in the water. DO is necessary for the sustenance of various biological life forms in water and the consequence of anthropogenic activities in a water body is largely determined by oxygen balance of the system (Bhatti and Latif, 2011).

Flow velocity refers to the speed at which water flows through its channel and velocity can change at various points along the river (Ames, 2018) and its directly affected by the quantity of water moving off the watershed into the river channel (USEPA, 2012). Flow velocity can have remarkable effect on water quality and biota. 

Transparency (water clarity) is a defining feature of aquatic ecosystem and influences the physical environment of fish and other aquatic biota through changes to primary productivity, habitat availability, and light limitation (Wu et al., 2015). From an ecological point of view, high transparency is an indication of a high degree of ecological integrity or ecosystem health (Teubner et al., 2020).

Biochemical Oxygen Demand is the measurement of total dissolved oxygen consumed by microorganisms for biodegradation of organic matter such as food particles or sewage etc (Bhatti and Latif, 2011). The biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) gives an indication of the quantity of degradable organic matter contained a water sample.

The chemical oxygen demand (COD) is a parameter extensively used to determine the amounts of organic pollutants in wastewater and a key pollution factor in organic pollution of rivers (Tang et al., 2019). 

Phosphorus-phosphate is an important macronutrient for biota that makes up the aquatic food web and a common pollutant due to its discharge in excess to receiving surface waterbodies (Sharma and Bhattacharya, 2017).

Nitrate is an essential nutrient for aquatic plants and algae. Major contributor of river water pollution comes from domestic sewage, animal waste, agricultural waste, soil erosion and runoff from the settlement (Christensen et al., 2011).

Sulphate is a common anion in the aquatic environment that is extensively distributed in different natural environments; playing a vital role in biogeochemical cycles.   Sulphate is a crucial and essential nutrient for tissue development in plants and animals (Madilonga et al., 2021).

Chloride (Cl^-) is a naturally occurring major anion found in all natural waters. It is highly mobile and levels in water are not affected by chemical reactions. As a result, it does not biodegrade, readily precipitate, volatilize, or bioaccumulate (Shukla and Arya, 2018).

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