Groundwater pollution near shallow waste dumps in Southern Calabar, South-Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

This article presents results of groundwater quality assessment based on some pollution indicators (total heterotrophic bacteria, THB; total faecal coliform, TFC; nitrate, NO₃- dissolved oxygen, DO; conductivity, CN) carried out in the vicinity of active and non-active (closed) waste dumps in Calabar South area. The data show that 4% of dissolved oxygen concentration: 58 and 62% of THB and TFC counts respectively recorded exceed the WHO recommended limits for drinking and /or domestic purposes. In addition, good correlation (> 0.70) exists between the pollution indicators on one hand and between THB, TFC and the number of waste dumps on the other. On the basis of a pollution scale developed for this study, the groundwater in the area are classed into 2 (low-moderate) 3 (moderate-high) and 4 (high-very high). Recommendations include periodic groundwater quality monitoring and introduction of modern waste disposal systems.


KEY WORDS: Groundwater quality, Nigeria, pollution, waste dump.


Global Journal of Geological Sciences Vol.2(2) 2004: 199-206