Water quality of Ubeji 2 creek impacted by crude oil from a bunkered pipeline

Abstract

Pollution of water bodies and its surrounding environs through oil spillages in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria is the major cause of unrest in the region. This study investigates the effects of crude oil on the physical and chemical parameters of a creek in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Water samples were analyzed for some physical and chemical parameters with standard techniques. The pH ranged between 6.18 ±0.07 and 6.95±0.00 while temperature ranged between 28.03±0.05 and 30.17±0.06 values. Dissolved oxygen (6.10±0.01 -4.20±0.20), nitrate (5.56±0.07 - 0.25±0.02), phosphate (1.72±0.03 - 0.09±0.01) and sulphate (6.25±0.04 - 0.05±0.00) values were below the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) limit posing minimal threat to humans. Chemical oxygen demand (26.10±0.20 - 5.50±0.10), total dissolved solids (1894.67±5.13 - 20.00±0.00), and electric conductivity (3801.33±1.53 - 36.67±5.77) reported extremely high values. Analysis revealed that water quality parameters analyzed for in Ubeji2 creek was significant but poor, the extremely high values of total dissolved solids and electric conductivity establishes Ubeji2 Creek as a brackish water also indicating pollution stress; rendering Ubeji2 creek toxic and unsafe for anthropogenic and domestic activities.