Assessment of Groundwater Quality by Heavy Metal Pollution Index in Ijare Rural Community and Alagbaka Urban Area in Ondo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Groundwater is becoming an essential source of water supply in many locations, and assessment of groundwater quality is essential to trace out the major groundwater contaminants.  In this study, Ijare represents a rural land use and Alagbaka representing the urban land use. The objective of this paper is to assess the groundwater quality by heavy metal pollution index (HMPI) in Ijare rural community and Alagbaka urban area in Ondo State, Nigeria using a 210VGP atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Data obtained reveals that, the concentration of iron in wells ranged between 0.1335 and 0.2715mg/L, Chromium in the study areas had levels ranging from 0.056 to 0.1615mg/L, while the levels of manganese ranged between 0.0775 and 0.1725mg/L and that of Lead had levels was between 0.01 to 0.11mg/L. This study thus reveals that the concentration of iron was within the WHO drinking water standard limit of 0.3mg/L, chromium in the study areas had levels above the WHO drinking water standard limit of 0.05mg/L, manganese levels within the WHO drinking water standard limit of 0.4mg/L and Lead had levels above the recommended limit.