Suitability of Bosso lakes Minna, Nigeria, for meeting domestic and agricultural human needs.

Abstract

The need for informed management practices and sustainable exploitation of Bosso lakes Minna, Nigeria, were the reasons for this study which elucidated the phsico-chemical properties and hence, fitness of water from these lakes for drinking, domestic and agricultural purposes. Weekly collection of water samples were carried out during the rainy season of 2009 and analyzed for water quality following standard techniques. The results showed that while the concentration of values of temperature, pH, Potassium Hardness, Mg2+, DO and TDS were not significantly different (P > 0.05) between the two lakes, the other physico-chemical parameters varied significantly (P > 0.05). Also, Electrical Conductivity, Turbidity, Nitrates, Sodium ion and COD were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in Gabas lake while, Alkalinity, Calcium ion and BOD, were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in Pyata lake. These results indicated varying degrees of pollution of the lakes which was attributed to the different human activities around the lakes. Assessment of water from the two lakes for suitability for human and agricultural needs revealed that while the mean concentration of the nutrient salts (i.e., NO-3, range = 3.08±2.83 to 6.72±7.90 mg/l; SO4, ranged = 2.44 ± 0.38 to 4.57 ± 0.50mg/l; and PO4, range = 2.51 ± 0.37 to 4.63 ± 0.26mg/l), pH (range = 6.664±0.45 to 7.33±1.34), Dissolved Oxygen (ranged = 24.56±15.72 to 24.63±16.73mg/l), Total Hardness (ranged = 33.86±35.85 to 29.00±38.09 mg/l), were within the international tolerance limits; Sodium and TDS (range = 3.14± 2.05 to 6.07± 4.20 mg/l and 1041.50±2406.66 to 1296.11±3017.17mg/l) were outside the limits. The public health implications of these results were discussed and concluded that, on the whole, water from Pyata and Gabas lakes, Minna, Nigeria are suitable for drinking (if treated), domestic uses, irrigational agriculture and fish stocking s most of the physico-chemical concentration ranges were below WHO maximum tolerance limits.