Most developing countries rely on water sources that are usually not protected making them unsafe for drinking. It is imperative to ensure regular assessment and proper monitoring to evaluate their quality and ensure they meet standards before use. This study was aimed at identifying pollution sources of groundwater in the study area of Omu-Aran and assessing the wáter quality under varying temporal conditions. Ninety-six groundwater samples were collected from eight locations during the dry and wet seasons of 2019-2020. These samples were examined for water quality parameters (n = 10) using standard methods. The study adopted the use of principal component analysis (PCA), water quality index (WQI) and independent sample t test to analyze water pollution sources, fully assess water quality and examine temporal variations in the sampling stations respectively. The mean values for measured parameters all fall within the Nigerian Standard Drinking Water Quality guideline values with the exception of pH, nitrite, dissolved oxygen and T. coliform. This pollution was attributed to sewage pollution arising from anthropogenic sources. Water quality decreased during rainy season as compared to the dry season with significant differences (P < 0.05) between these periods except for pH, total hardness and fluoride. WQI ranged from 28.17 to 108.15 which lies on the "good" to "unsuitable for drinking" spectrum. Three latent factors were extracted for both the wet and dry seasons from measured parameters by means of PCA. They explain natural pollution and soil erosion phenomenom due to seasonal changes while organic matter oxidation and mineral dissolution are also identified as factors that affect the water quality in the study area. In conclusion, the study has been able to integrate the use of PCA and WQI to analyse recorded data for pollution source identification and water quality interpretation in the study area. Regular assessment and proper monitoring to evaluate the quality of these sources should be done in order to ensure they meet standards before use. Users should be encouraged to carry out disinfection and ensure their water sources are protected and not left exposed. KeywordsWater quality index (WQI) • Contamination • Groundwater • Principal component analysis (PCA) • Omu-Aran • t test Abbreviations APHA American public health association Chloride Chloride DO Dissolved oxygen E East EC Electrical conductivity k Constant of proportionality * E. M. Ibitogbe

A material was made from cement/waste paper/sludge mixture and tests were carried out on it to ascertain its suitability as a ceiling board material. The tests included water absorption, drying shrinkage, flexural strength, thermal conductivity, and compressive strength. The results showed that the material possesses good properties as a ceiling board material.

No abstract

Pollution of groundwater by bathroom, laundry and kitchen effluent has been documented to have non-desirable health and environmental effects. There is little information about the quality of groundwater and associated health effects in Omu-Aran. The present research therefore meets the need to investigate the levels of heavy metals, the pollution effects, and the long term human health risk effect on local inhabitants in Omu-Aran. Thirty water samples were collected from five hand dug wells (HWs) in different parts of Omu-Aran spanning a period of three months and the heavy metal parameters were determined using standard protocol. The non-carcinogenic risk was evaluated using hazard index (HI) according to United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) risk assessment method. Data analysis were carried out by the use of descriptive statistics. From the result, mean values and SD of heavy metals in the water samples obtained from selected HWs ranged from 0.16 ± 0.13 to 0.29 ± 0.18 mg/L, 0.29 ± 0.02 to 1.36 ± 0.07 mg/L, 0.00 ± 0.00 to 0.72 ± 0.04 mg/L, 0.00 ± 0.00 to 0.51 ± 0.09 mg/L, 0.01 ± 0.01 to 5.26 ± 0.07 mg/L, and from 0.03 ± 0.01 to 12.96 ± 2.82 mg/L for Al, Fe, Mn, Cr, Cu, and Zn respectively. The heavy metals were all above the WHO limits except Pb and Fe. The hazard index values ranged from 1.406 to 10.075 indicating significant non-carcinogenic risk. The findings of the study, has shown that there is considerable amount of heavy metal pollution which stems from anthropogenic sources. There was no observable risk via dermal pathways based on hazard quotient values while non-carcinogenic risk via ingestion was observed for all the locations. There is therefore a need to bring awareness to the community for the purpose of ensuring safety of its active water sources.

The processing of adequate information of characteristics of soils is essential for designing quality soil management and construction practices on agricultural and urban lands. Little is known about the infiltration capacity of soils in institutions of higher learning, this study therefore evaluated the infiltration capacity of soils in the Landmark University, Omu-Aran. The double ring infiltrometer with an inner ring of 30 cm and a 50 cm diameter outer ring with a height of 30 cm above the ground was used to test infiltration rates at two sites, namely the University of Omu-Aran’s orchard area (OA) and the new college building area (NCBA). Six points labelled (A, B, C, D, E and F) were identified at 10 m grid intervals at which infiltration rates were determined using a 30 cm inner ring double ring infiltrometer and a 30 cm height outer ring. Results of soil analysis suggests sand dirty and silt texture and bulk density and particle density varied from 2.54–3.03 g/cm3 and 1.31–1.52 g/cm3 respectively. The infiltration rates ranged between 0.007 to 0.011 cm/sec with a mean of 0.009cm/sec in orchard area (OA) and 0.011 to 0.035 cm/sec with a mean value of 0.021 cm/sec in NCBA indicating a significant difference at both locations. The infiltration rate of soils at the OA is very low compare to that of NCBA therefore the OA is more prone to flooding. Effective drainage control system is recommended along the orchard area to prevent flooding.