Organic pollution in a Niger Delta River receiving petrochemical effluents.

Abstract

The influence of season on the pollution status of Eleme River by organic effluents was investigated. The results indicated that the highest dissolved oxygen value 6.4 mg/L obtained was in the rainy month of April while the lowest 3.3 mg/L was in the dry month of February. Higher BOD values and oil and grease contents were observed in the rainy than dry months. Also the dry months of October, December and February gave higher river phenol contents than the rainy months of April, June and August. The effluent samples had dissolved oxygen, BOD, oil and grease and phenol contents that ranged from 3.5 - 4.5 mg/L, 2.2 -3.4 mg/L, 2.3 - 8.9 mg/L and 0.23 - 0.42 mg/L, respectively. Anova results indicated significant difference (P0.05) in the dissolved oxygen level of stations 2 and 4 on the river and also effluent and station 4. So also were the BOD of the effluent and that of stations 2,3 and 4 on the river. Significant differences at (P0.05) were also observed in the oil and grease contents of the effluent and that of the stations on the river. Though most of the parameters monitored fell within internationally permissible levels for water intended for domestic and industrial use, some did not. Observation of high concentration of these properties in the petrochemical effluent indicates its high pollution potentials.


KEY WORDS: petrochemical effluents, organic pollution, potentials, biodiversity, productivity, aesthetics


Tropical Freshwater Biology, 10 (2001) 19 -33