Assessment of Aquifer Protective Capacity, Against the Surface Contamination. A Case Study of Kaduna Industrial Village, Nigeria

Abstract

Geo-electric soundings was carried out in 22 different locations at Kaduna Refinery Petrochemical Corporation (KRPC) and White Oil and Gas Layout, Mahuta, Kaduna. The aquifer protective capacity and Hydraulic characteristics of the study area was computed from the Geoelectric parameters using Dar-Zarrouk and hydrological parameters. The interpreted data were presented in tabular form, Geoelectric/geology soil profiles and contoured maps. The results show that the study area aquifer is relatively protected with an average value of 0.5 mhos with an indication of infiltration of contaminant in some location. The hydraulic parameter values also show that the study area aquifer has the capacity to produce water non-stopping if the wells are sited based the geophysical investigation. The computed hydraulic characteristics and transmissivity of the area has an average value of 5.5 m/day and 6.1 /hour, which implies that, the study area has the capacity to transmit groundwater through a distance of 5.5 m in 24-hour and can covers 6.1 in one hour.

Effect of an Active Open Dumpsite on the Earth’s Subsurface and Groundwater Resource

“…Though, the noticeable streams around the study area all drain into the famous river Kaduna, while the surface waters are drained directly by evaporation, infiltration, and run-off. However, many researchers are of the view that geological factors such as topography, rain, and erosion can increase the rate at which a dumpsite leaches down the soil to contaminate groundwater [3,4,7,8,16,21]…”

“…The characteristics of active open dumpsite leachate may be differed, depending on the degradation procedure, hydrological nature, climate conditions and the age of the dumpsite. Many researchers are of the view that environmental pollution and health issues are usually connected to the inadequate treatment of dumpsite leachate [3][4][5], while [6][7][8], believe that the degree of groundwater pollution is a function of hydraulic conductivity at waste dumpsites. Recent studies have shown that the deposited wastes on landfills undergo a series of chemical reactions and changes and the shallow sediments above the water-bearing unit (water table) can get contaminated through leaching of leachates thereby contaminating usable surface water and groundwater resources [1,[8][9][10].…”

“…Many researchers are of the view that environmental pollution and health issues are usually connected to the inadequate treatment of dumpsite leachate [3][4][5], while [6][7][8], believe that the degree of groundwater pollution is a function of hydraulic conductivity at waste dumpsites. Recent studies have shown that the deposited wastes on landfills undergo a series of chemical reactions and changes and the shallow sediments above the water-bearing unit (water table) can get contaminated through leaching of leachates thereby contaminating usable surface water and groundwater resources [1,[8][9][10]. However, contaminants or pollutants released into the environment hardly remain at the surface but migrate to the water-bearing unit.…”

“…However, the effect of open dumpsite leachate is not limited to the groundwater resources, but it also affects the subsoil. While [7] is of the view that, natural and man-made factors are usually the cause the events that lead to soil and environmental pollution, others believe, that soil pollutants are dependent on the soil resistivity and conductivity, because the soil resistivity and conductivity are influenced by various geological factors such as porosity, soil mineral, soil water content [8,12]. However, the views of these studies are not contradicting because natural and man-made factors are responsible for the degree of soil resistivity and conductivity.…”

“…Most open dumpsites across the world, especially in Africa are usually located in the Cities and are situated at residential areas, markets and roadsides. According to [1,8,10], groundwater in cracks and fractured rocks have proven to be favourable zone for groundwater accumulation, since their hydrological characteristics like porosity and hydraulic conductivity are enhanced. Therefore, the presence of fractures in or around dumpsites could increase hydraulic contact between the groundwater and leachate thereby increasing the risk of environment and water contamination since dumpsites constitute an integral part of the soil hydrological system [1,10,12].…”