Assessment of heavy metal contamination in groundwater of Agbor, Ika south l. G. A., delta state, Nigeria

Abstract

Heavy Metal Contamination of groundwater is an issue of deep concern worldwide and as such the degree to which these metals have contaminated the most valuable fresh water resource “GROUNDWATER” must be summarily understood. 10 Borehole water samples were taken from various parts of Agbor and analysis were carried out for the major anions and cations with Arsenic been the heavy metal of interest. Upon comparison with NIS and WHO standards for drinking water, the results shows that though they were measurable concentration of Arsenic in three locations but they were high enough to pose threat to human health. Nonetheless, the results were subjected to Statistical Analysis using Principal component Analysis (PCA) to standardized data sets. The results gotten was tied to graphical methods, Stiff plot and Piper diagram to obtain the water type as Ca2+-Mg2+-Cl- - SO42- and revealed the dominant ions. PCA revealed that five components control the hydrochemistry of the study area.Ammonium,Nitrate,Phosphate and TDS dominated component 1 which accounted for 41.1%,Chloride, sulphate and EC are parameters in component 2, component 3 hasCalcium, Magnesium and Bicarbonates, component 4 isdominated bypH and component 5 holds potassium and sodium accountable for hydrochemical variation. United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA 2012) and EU 1998 Standards were compared with parameters to ascertain the quality of the water for domestic use. pH had a value less than 6.5 for most of the sampled locations and these were out of range of US United States Environmentaal Protection Agency (EPA) and European Union Drinking Water Directives(EU DWD) standards