1 Nigerian Journal of Chemical Research Vol. 19, 2014 Physicochemical Characterization of Wastewaters from a Cluster of Industries in Jos, Nigeria

Abstract

This work was carried out to establish the effects of the activities of a cluster of industries in Jos-South Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria, on the environmental quality of the industrial area. Some physicochemical parameters – temperature, pH, turbidity, suspended solids (SS), total solids (TS), total hardness, alkalinity, biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), heavy metals (Cu²⁺, Co²⁺, Fe²⁺ & Zn²⁺), phosphates, nitrates, sulphates and chlorides – of the wastewaters from the various industries were investigated using standard protocols. The ranges of the parameters were as follows: temperature: 22 – 32⁰C, pH: 5.5 – 10.4, SS: 0 – 1,300mg/L, TS: 200 – 1.400mg/L, sulphate: 0.37 – 1.37mg/L, nitrites: 0.10 – 1.09mg/L and phosphate: 14.80 – 21.83mg/L. The phosphate values, especially, are in excess of the maximum contamination limit specified by Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) and World Health Organization (WHO); and are capable of triggering eutrophication, which will in turn increase BOD/COD values. Concentrations of heavy metals, determined by Atomic Absorption Spectophotometry (AAS), ranged as follows: 0.07 – 2.01mg/L for Cu²⁺, 0.58 – 3.27mg/L for Fe²⁺, 0.01 – 3.18mg/L for Zn²⁺ and 0.11 – 0.18mg/L for Co²⁺ whose specified standard is not available. BOD values ranged between 5.34 – 25.88mg/L while COD values ranged from 727.30 – 8,308.66mg/L. Some BOD values were in excess of the allowable limit while all COD values were observed to be very high. This implies an appreciable level of pollution exists here and recipient water bodies of these wastewaters are at risk of being polluted.