Quality Evaluation of River Chanchaga Using Metal Pollution Index and Principal Component Analysis

Abstract

In this study, metal pollution index (MPI) and principal component analysis (PCA) techniques were applied to water quality data sets obtained from River Chanchaga, Minna, North-central Nigeria, to obtain the spatial and temporal changes in the river quality. Results show that the indices which changed the quality of the river water consist of natural (weathering and bedrock dissolution) and anthropogenic activities such as mining, agriculture, domestic and industrial wastes within its catchment. The result of the MPI indicates that the river is slightly affected with respect to heavy metal pollution, which can be attributed the gold mineralization and mining along the river course. Five principal factors were generated when the data was subjected to PCA and they correspond to five possible point source of pollution to the river. Factors 1 and 2 are naturally induced while factors 3, 4 and 5 are due to anthropogenic interference in the hydrological cycle. Although, the river quality does not pose any serious threat to human health presently, the various anthropogenic activities domiciled at the downstream should discontinue, in order restore the river water quality. The people living close to the river should adopt a good sanitary habit by not dumping waste into the river henceforth. Boiling of the water before consumption is advocated.

Effects of Gas Flaring on the Physicochemical and Microbiological Quality of Water Sources in Egbema, Imo State, Nigeria

“…The WHO approved pH range for drinking water is 6.5 to 8.5. Low pH in the Niger Delta has also been observed by Amadi et al [12], and was attributed to gas flaring in most parts of the Niger Delta as well as the presence of organic matter in the soil. The temperature at the various locations ranged from 29.7 to 30.7 0 C (Tables 1, 2) with the dry season showing higher values than wet season.…”

Biomonitoring of Effects and Accumulations of Heavy Metals Insults Using Some Helminth Parasites of Fish as Bio-Indicators in an Afrotropical Stream

“…Chanchaga River lies between latitude 8 0 43 N to 9 0 40 N and longitude 6 0 12 E to 6 0 47 E of the equator (Figure 1; Edegbene et al, 2015). Chanchaga River is massively polluted given various forms of human-influenced activities ranging from gold mining, crop farming and the presence of Niger State Water Board Authority along the river course (Amadi et al, 2012;Edegbene et al, 2019). Samples of water and fish were collected monthly for 24 months from four (4) different locations along the river (named Stations 1 to 4) based on contrasting degrees of anthropogenic disturbances.…”

“…Studies on bioremediating the aquatic environment using host-parasite dynamics as bio-indicators of effects and accumulators of heavy metals insults are still scarce, particularly in the tropics. Due to the strategic location of Chanchaga River, it is believed to be contaminated with heavy metals largely from mining, agriculture, construction works, fishing, domestic and industrial wastes from water processing for municipal supplies (Amadi et al, 2012;Edegbene et al, 2015;Mgbemena et al, 2020). Anthropogenic emissions from crude and artisanal mining activities and metal fetching from underground that are overwhelmingly on the increase around the river would consequently lead to further increase in heavy metals pollution of the river.…”

Pollution evaluation in the Shahrood River: Do physico-chemical and macroinvertebrate-based indices indicate same responses to anthropogenic activities?

“…Metal Pollution index (MPI) has wide-ranging use and it is applied as the indicator of the river water quality (Amadi, 2012;Amadi et al, 2012). According to metal pollution index (MPI), water quality is considered in three categories, including: non-potable (MPI > 1), on the threshold of danger of drinking (MPI ¼ 1) and potable (MPI < 1).…”