Assessment of Radionuclide Concentrations in Some Public Water in Use in Makurdi Metropolis of Benue State, Nigeria

This work assessed the concentration of radioactive elements found in some public water samples in use in Makurdi metropolis of Benue State, Nigeria. The study area is an agrarian community where agro-chemicals are normally used and there is a frequent health breakdown as a result of water sources in use. It was carried out in Makurdi between March September 2007. Geiger Muller Counter was used to measure the radiation concentrations in the water samples from hand dug wells, streams, boreholes, tapwater, bottled water and sachet water from five geographical locations of the metropolis (East, West, North, South and Central). Ten grab samples from each water source were collected and laboratory analyses were carried out in the Physics Department of Benue State University. It was observed that the highest radiation was in borehole ranging from 2.86 X 10-1 Bq (in the East) to 3.69 X 10-1Bq (in the North). The least radiation was from bottled water 0.55 X 10-1 Bq (in the Central) to 0.77 X 10-1Bq (in the South)

Evaluation of Pollutant Loads: Organic and Inorganic in River Ukoghor of the Lower Benue Basin, Nigeria

This study was carried out to determine the organic and inorganic pollutant loads in River Ukoghor of the Lower Benue Basin. Grab water samples were collected from the outlet of the River into River Benue, twice a month in three replications for a period of eight months (April November, 2002) using sterilized one-litre plastic bottles. The entire depth of the river was covered by submerging the bottles several times across the vertical depth. The samples were collected from the river section where there was a complete lateral mixing. Laboratory analyses were carried out to determine BOD, COD, Ca, Mg, Na, and TDS concentrations from which the loads were computed. The result of laboratory analysis shows that the inorganic pollutant loads include calcium (Ca), Sodium (Na), and Magnesium (Mg). The high loading of Ca (25g/day) and Mg (15g/day) were attributed to the crushing of rocks used for building and road construction, while the high loading of Na (18.18g/day) was attributed to the presence of brewing industries. The high level of TDS (7.30g/day) was due to agricultural activities within the area. High values of BOD (12.22mg/l) and COD (20.47mg/l) obtained indicated pollution due to organic (biodegradable) and inorganic (nonbiodegradable) substances. It was evident that watershed vegetation characteristics and anthropogenic activities are important factors that influence water quality

Evaluation of Rainfall Erosivity Index for Abuja, Nigeria Using Lombardi Method

Rainfall erosivity index is one of the important factors influencing soil erosion. Erosivity index for Abuja, Nigeria was evaluated using the Lombadi method. Twelve (12) years rainfall data (2001 – 2012) used was obtained from Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) Abuja.  Daily kinetic energy – intensity interaction was computed using EI = 1.03Vd1.51. The results showed that the average annual rainfall erosivity index for the city for the period of study was 1131.86 MJmm/hr.  The correlation between annual erosivity index and average annual precipitation was expressed as Y = 8.2209X + 34.659. The coefficient of Determination R2 was 0.5011. During this period, the month of August (in all the years) had the highest erosivity index except for 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2008. The analysis of rainfall seasonal distribution showed that the most intensive erosion menace in the area can be expected in August, especially in the areas that are not protected by vegetation cover, which also depends on the climatic change. It is recommended that soil surfaces should not be left bare.http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njt.v34i1.

Trend Analysis of Raw Water Parameters in River Benue at the Reach of Makurdi, Nigeria

This study ascertained the extent of pollution of the water body of river Benue at the reach of Makurdi. Trend analysis gives an insight to the possible outcome over a period of time in data processing. In this study, available data for twelve points ranging from 1 – 12m distance, and some laboratory analysis were used to estimate the trend of Escherichia Coli (E.coli), Biochemical oxygen Demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in river Benue at the reach of Makurdi, Benue State. The concentration of E.coli ranged from 584.7 cfu/100ml to 1067.1 cfu/100ml, BOD values ranged from 727.3 mg/l to 870.4mg/l and COD values ranged from 1454.7mg/l to 1758.6mg/l. The values increased with distance with the highest E-coli, BOD and COD at the 12m distance. Three regression models for trend projection were developed. The trend shows that, the water quality of river Benue is not pleasant. Some recommendations are made and if adopted will help to improve the quality of the water for consumption and other recreational purposes.Keywords: Trend Analysis, River Benue, Water Quality, Pollution, Raw Wate

From curiosity to commodity: a review of the evolution of sachet drinking water in West Africa

The private sector continues to play an important role in filling local drinking water supply gaps across the Global South. In West Africa, a perfect storm of rapid population growth, infrastructure mismanagement, and globalization of consumer markets has resulted in the advent of an entire new industry around packaged water, primarily ‘sachet water’ sold in mechanically sealed plastic sleeves. Most local governments and international development agencies have historically perceived sachet water as a passing trend, but it has quickly become a primary drinking water source for the majority of households in many urban areas and continues to spread throughout the region and world. Sachet water is now an important component of regional water security, although with attendant issues related to governance, quality control, environmental pollution, and social justice. This paper reviews the seminal literature on sachet water in West Africa, with particular emphasis on Ghana and Nigeria, where most studies have focused. This review synthesizes governance issues, consumer and industry trends, and the latest on product quality in the literature from 2011 to 2016, with 2010 approximating an inflection point for the modernization of the industry. The ability of many West African nations to achieve universal access to safe drinking water may depend on their willingness to understand and incorporate the sachet water industry into an integrated drinking water platform. WIREs Water 2017, 4:e1206. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1206 This article is categorized under: Engineering Water > Planning Water Engineering Water > Sustainable Engineering of Water Human Water > Water Governance A typical 500‐mL sachet of drinking water sold in Accra, Ghana