Environmental surveillances of River Ogio in Edo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed the quality of water obtained from River Ogio in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. Using standard procedures, the water samples obtained from three points of the river were analyzed for physicochemical parameters, Total heterotrophic bacteria count and Total coliform count. With exception of upstream samples, the temperature of midstream and downstream samples was lower than the range specified by the World Health Organization (WHO). The Cadmium and Arsenic levels, Total heterotrophic bacteria count and Total coliform count were above the WHO recommended limits. A total of four genera of bacteria were isolated from the water samples. Correlational analysis revealed no significant (p > 0.05) relationship between the physicochemical parameters and bacteriological properties of water obtained from River Ogio. The water obtained from River Ogio is considered unsafe for domestic consumption due to its high heavy metal content and bacteria load.