Evaluiation of Groundwater Quality in Aba Metropolis, Southeastern Nigeria using Factor Analysis

Abstract

Due to pressure of human activity, urbanization and industrialization, the groundwater sources are degraded gradually; therefore pure, safe and healthy drinking water has become a matter of deep concern in Aba metropolis, Southeastern Nigeria. The quality of water is identified in terms of its physical, chemical and biological parameters. This study involved the determination of the trace metals, bacteriological and physiochemical properties in groundwater samples from Aba metropolis, Southeastern Nigeria using factor analysis. The purpose is to ascertain the suitability of the water for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes. The concentrations of most of the investigated parameters were within the permissible limits of the World Health Organization and Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality guidelines. However, the water has low pH (ranging from 3.8 to 6.2) indicating acid water condition while the bacteriological test shows high total coliform count reflecting faecal contamination. Six factors were extracted after subjecting the data to factor analysis. Factor 1 includes conductivity, total dissolved solid (TDS), chloride, calcium, magnesium, total hardness (TH), potassium and sodium. The enrichment of these ions in groundwater is attributed to the dissolution of the bedrock through which it moves. Factor 2 has a high loading for temperature, manganese and nickel and reflects the migration of industrial effluents into the groundwater system. Contributors to factor 3 are pH, iron and sulphate; the iron finds it way into the groundwater via leaching from the overlying lateritic soil while sulphate is attributed to lignite dissolution and weathering activities. Bicarbonate, nitrate and total coliform were the extract factor 4, 5 and 6 respectively. Their presence is linked to calcite dissolution, fertilizer application and faecal contamination respectively. The dominant water type in the area as revealed by the piper diagram is Calcium-Bicarbonate type.