Physicochemical and bacteriological analysis of well water in Zango – Abattoir Kaduna – Nigeria

Abstract

Physiochemical and bacteriological quality of hand-dug well water in Zango – Abattoir Kaduna Metropolis was determined. A total of 12 samples were collected from 3 opens wells. The mean pH, electrical conductivity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen (DO) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) were 5.98, 22.8μs/cm, 18.1NTU, 0.4mg/L and 0.23mg/L respectively. The results indicated very high concentration of sodium and potassium, with a range of 425 to 2,817mg/L for sodium and 132.5 to 222.5mg/L for Potassium. The concentration of lead and cadmium were also significant ranging from 0.3972 to 0.652mg/L and 0.0062 to 0.0193mg/L respectively. The bacterial analysis also revealed that 9 of the samples had total coliform bacteria and 4 had fecalbacteria. Though the overall physicochemical and bacteriological quality of the water samples lies within the maximum permissible limits of established standards, the high metal concentration makes the water unsuitable for drinking.