Multivariate Statistical Analysis for Assessment of Groundwater Quality around Dumpsites in Bauchi metropolis, Bauchi State, Nigeria

Abstract

Groundwater is an important source of drinking water and the protection of groundwater is a major environmental issue as the importance of water quality to human health. Hence, the objective of this study was to assess the groundwater quality around dumpsites in Bauchi metropolis, Bauchi State, Nigeria using standard analytical techniques and multivariate statistical analysis methods such as correlation analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA), and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA).  The mean concentration of the parameters in ground water samples ranged from pH 7.55 to 9.06, temperature 32.55 to 34.25 ^oC, conductivity 54.80 to 65.38 μS/cm, salinity 0.20 to 0.29 mg/L, TSS 0.36 to 1.93 mg/L, TDS 57.53 to 59.95 mg/L, HCO₃ 26.80 to 31.00 mg/L, PO₄^3- 1.05 to 2.06 mg/L, SO₄^2- 2.25 to 3.26 mg/L, NO₃^- 1.40 to 4.50 mg/L, NO₂^- 0.01 to 0.03 mg/L, and Cl^- 2.14 to 8.31 mg/L. The result shows that the investigated parameters were below the WHO, permissible limit, except PO₄^3-. The concentration of the parameters were in following trend; TDS > conductivity > temperature > HCO₃> pH > NO₃> SO₄>Cl> PO₄> TSS > salinity > NO₂. Multivariate analysis revealed that the main sources of water quality parameters might be related to dumpsites around the study area. According to the HCA, and PCA, the parameters were divided into three groups; the first group correlated with Salinity, TSS, SO₄, NO₃ and NO₂; the second group correlated with TDS and HCO₃, and the third with pH, temperature, and conductivity. The hydrochemistry of groundwater from the area reveals that the water could be applied to irrigation.