Determination of Pesticide Residues in Surface and Ground Water from Wurno Irrigation Farms and Environs in Sokoto State, Nigeria

The organochlorines (OCs) and organophosphorus (OPs) pesticides in water from Wurno irrigation farm having intensive agricultural activities were investigated to evaluate their levels of pollution in the environment. Sampling was done using grab method. Samples were subjected to Liquid-liquid extraction using ethylacetate /dichloromethane mixture (1:1) and clean-up on silica gel adsorbents. The detection and determination of the pesticide residues were performed using Gas-Chromatographic technique (GC-MS) coupled with MSD. The results obtained revealed that DDD one of the metabolites of DDT showed the highest mean concentration levels of 1.002µg/L with a percentage distribution of 27.32%. The next most abundant detectable residues was DDE detected in fifteen samples with a mean concentration of 0.927µg/L and a percentage distribution of 25.41% γ-HCH was detected in eighteen samples with a mean concentration of 0.896µg/L and a percentage distribution of 24.59%. DDT has a mean concentration of 0.894µg/L and a percentage distribution of 24.32%. Among the organophosphorus, chlorpyriphos showed the highest mean concentration of 1.073µg/L measuring a total of 69.05% of the detectable residues. Methylparathion was the next abundant organophosphorus with a mean concentration of 0.162µg/L and a percentage distribution of 10.32%. Among the residues, water samples were found to be more contaminated by organochlorine pesticide residues than the organophosphorus residues. Generally the mean concentration levels of individual pesticide detected in the samples are higher than the WHO maximum limits indicating a possible pollution of the water environment by the agricultural activities

Assessment Of Sachet Water Quality In Sokoto Metropolis

Sachet water is among the alternative drinking water among the diverse users in households, industries, ministries, hospitals, schools, restaurants, markets and other places around Sokoto metropolis. Thus, this study sought to assess the presence and the level of physicochemical, heavy metals and biological parameters found in the sachet water produced and consumed in the study area. Therefore, the samples used in the study were purchased randomly from five sampling location and analyzed using standard method of analysis. The results of the study were being subjected to; analysis of variance (ANOVA), descriptive statistics and homogeneous turkey HSD analysis. The ANOVA results showed that all the physicochemical and heavy metals analysed varied significantly at 95% level of significance except chloride (0.081), alkalinity (0.087), total dissolved solids (0.204) and cadmium (1.000) respectively while the descriptive statistics and homogeneous turkey analysis showed that all the physicochemical and heavy metals analysed are within the WHO standard for drinking water except alkalinity with (365.068 mg/l), fluoride (3.245 mg/l) and nitrate (26.405 mg/l) and Fe (9.243 mg/l), Cd (0.02 mg/l) and As (7.503 mg/l) as highest concentration respectively. The biological results reveal that the total coliform bacterial load in the water samples is within the WHO standard of 0-10 MPN index of coliform in 100 cm3 of the water sample. The overall results of the study indicates that the sachet water produced and consumed in the study area are safe and suitable for consumption as more than 70% of the parameters analysed conform with WHO standard for drinking water