Analysis of Physicochemical Parameters of Sewage Water used for Irrigation in Bauchi Metropolis - Nigeria

This study was carried out to investigate the physicochemical parameters of sewage water used to irrigate vegetable farmlands along one of the major drainage channels in Bauchi metropolis - Nigeria. Sewage water was collected from six different sampling sites. Temperature (23 – 25 o C), pH (8.11 – 8.4), electrical conductivity (850 µScm-1 – 1524 µScm-1) hardness (210 mg/L – 298 mg/L), alkalinity (63 mgCaCO3/L – 95.5 mgCaCO3/L), nitrate-nitrogen (4.72 mg/L - 11.44 mg/L) and phosphate-phosphorus (1.00 mg/L - 2.38 mg/L) were determined in sewage water samples in the study areas. In the control sample, Temperature (30.7 o C), pH (7.41), electrical conductivity (320 µScm-1) hardness (125 mg/dm3), alkalinity (54 mgCaCO3/ dm3), nitrate-nitrogen( 3.8 mg/ dm3) and phosphate-phosphorus ( 0.10 mg/ dm3) were determined.. All the physicochemical parameters determined were found to be within FAO/WHO standard limit for irrigation water except for electrical conductivity, hardness and nitrate-nitrogen. The high values of these three parameters obtained from the study areas may indicate that the sewage water samples contain more plant nutrients in it than the control area water sample, where these values were all lower than the permissible limits. It may also indicate a higher pollution level compared to the control area. Keywords: Bauchi metropolis, pollution, physicochemical parameters, sewage water, irrigation.

Elemental Composition Study of leachate in some dumpsites in Bauchi Metropolis

Elemental composition study of leachates at four different dumpsites were conducted by analyzing samples of leachates for some heavy metal (cr, cd, pb, and cu ) using complexometric method. The results of analyses showed that the leachate from the four dumpsites have the following ranges of mean concentrations 0.08 – 0.22 mg/dm3 Cd; 0.01 – 0.10 mg/dm3 Cr; 1.81 mg/dm3 Pb; and 1.11 – 1.99 mg/dm3 Cu. These heavy metals are present in the leachates in low amount.   Their presence however suggested that solid waste dumpsite contributes to heavy metals contamination of the environment. Keywords: Heavy metals, complexometric method, dumpsites, Contamination, leachate