journal of sciences heavy metals (cd, cu, fe, mn and zn ... · ... mn and zn,) assessment of ......

International Journal of Science and Technology Volume 4 No. 2, February, 2015

IJST © 2015– IJST Publications UK. All rights reserved. 49

Heavy Metals (Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn,) Assessment of Groundwater, In

Kaltungo LGA, Gombe State, Nigeria

Casimir E. Gimba, George I. Ndukwe, Elaoyi D. Paul, James D. Habila, Lamis A. Madaki

Department of Chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria.

ABSTRACT

The groundwater quality was determined in the district of Kaltungo Local Government Area of Gombe State, Nigeria. Groundwater

samples were collected in April 2012 (dry season), water samples from twenty five hand-dug wells, fifteen bore holes in the district and

two away from the district in Biliri which served as the control were analyzed using the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer after

digestion to assess the suitability of the water for human consumption and domestication purposes. The selected heavy metals cadmium,

copper, iron, manganese and zinc which may be toxic in excess when present in drinking water were determined. The results obtained for

the heavy metals concentrations range from Copper (0.03-0.60 mg/L), iron (0.395-22.90 mg/L), zinc (0.073-1.670 mg/L), manganese

(0.046-1.85 mg/L) and cadmium (0.009-0.446 mg/L). Cadmium, manganese, and iron in most samples exceeded the World Health

Organization (WHO) and Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) standard guideline for potable water usage. The result reflects high

pollution of groundwater with heavy metals. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson correlation analysis were used to describe the

data.

Keywords: Heavy metals, Boreholes, hand-dug well, WHO and AAS

1. INTRODUCTION

Groundwater is considered among the healthiest source of

drinking water, but domestic, agricultural and industrial

activities have led to the degradation of groundwater quality in

different parts of the world. Groundwater contamination is

responsible for water related and water borne diseases in

developing countries like Nigeria, evaluation of groundwater

quality for human consumption is essential to human existence.

The source of ground water contamination could be natural

through ground water-rock interaction or through anthropogenic

which involve human activities that can affect groundwater

quality. Groundwater pollution which is man-made is worse than

natural pollution as it eventually renders water unsuitable for use

than its original state (Abimbola et al., 2005).The provision of

good quality water is needed as an urgent step that will ensure

groundwater quality, protection and conservation. Ground water

is an important source of drinking water for humankind, it

contains over 90% of the fresh water resources and it is an

important reserve of good quality water. Groundwater, like any

other water resource, is not just of public health and economic

value (Armon et al., 1994). The water pollution by heavy metals

has become a question of considerable public and scientific

concern in the light of the evidence of their toxicity to human

health and biological systems (Anazawa et al., 2004). Heavy

metals receive particular concern considering their strong

toxicity even at low concentrations (Marcovecchio et al., 2007).

They exist in water in colloidal, particulate and dissolved phases

(Adepoju - Bello et al., 2009) with their occurrence in water

bodies being either of natural origin (e.g. eroded minerals within

sediments, leaching of ore deposits and volcanism extruded

products) or of anthropogenic origin (i.e. solid waste disposal,

industrial or domestic effluents) (Marcovecchio et al., 2007).

Some of the metals are essential to sustain life calcium,

magnesium, potassium and sodium must be present for normal

body functions. Also, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese,

molybdenum and zinc are needed at low levels as catalyst for

enzyme activities (Adepoju-Bello et al., 2009).

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA

Gombe state occupies part of the central position of North-

eastern part of Nigeria (with Gombe town as its capital) and

shares common borders with Bauchi, Borno, Yobe, Adamawa

and Taraba States. The study area which is Kaltungo LGA in

Gombe state is located between latitude 9048’00N to 9050’38N

and longitudes 11016’00E to 11019’45’E It is accessible through

the Bauchi-Gombe-Kaltungo and the Numan-Cham-Kaltungo

Federal Highway. The study area forms part of the Gongola arm

of the Benue Trough. The area has a mean maximum temperature

of 310C and average annual rainfall of 1550.7mm.

The area is characterized by moderate to high relief which stands

out within the general elevation, among which is the famous

Tangale peak (Carter et al., 1963). The topography of the area

rises from 402 meters to 702 meters above mean sea level. The

area is drained by the River Kaltungo which flows from the north

east towards the southwest. The population of the area is about

183,000 (NPC, 2006), and the people are predominately farmers,

and also rear cattle. The major sources of water supply in the area

are surface waters including Rivers, streams ponds and ground

International Journal of Science and Technology (IJST) – Volume 4 No. 2, February, 2015


water which is obtained from hand dug wells and boreholes.

Most residents in the area use pit latrines and waste disposal is

indiscriminately carried out. These practices could be

responsible for degradation of ground water quality, and thus

renders its unsuitable for human consumption.

Table 1 Sampling Locations and Coordinates for Sampling Sites 1 and 2

S/NO Groundwater

type

Site 1 Coordinates Groundwater

type

Site 2 Coordinates

1 BH GSSS

Lakanje

9048’05.0”N

11019’02.4”E HW Termana

9049’07.4”N

11018’24.5”E

2 HW Aya

extension

9048’01.3”N

11018’49.3”E BH Termana

9048’52.2”N

11018’20.5”E

3 HW Aya 9047’46.2”N

11018’41.9”E HW Sabon Layi

9049’00.3”N

11018’44.7”E

4 HW Okra 9047’59.2”N

11018’50.6”E BH Sabon Layi P.

9049’01.2”N

11018’43.7”E

5 BH Poshereng 9047’33.5”N

11018’36.2”E BH Lapan dintai

9048’56.9”N

11018’50.1”E

6 HW Poshereng

Ka'awe

9047’27.6”N

11018’30.5”E HW Baganje

9049’20.4”N

11018’29.1”E

7 HW Kalaring 9048’35.2”N

11018’49.3”E BH Baganje 2

9049’23.6”N

11018’36.7”E

8 HW Kalaring 2 9043’36.1”N

11018’43.5”E BH Kasar Waje

9048’58.3”N

11018’59.8”E

9 BH Kalaring

Maternity

9048’34.8”N

11018’40.9”E HW Tasha

9049’31.5”N

11018’41.1”E

10 HW Kasuwa 9048’55.3”N

11018’29.7”E HW Sabon Layi 2

9049’05.2”N

11018’41.1”E

Table 2 Sampling Locations and Coordinates for Sampling sites 3, 4 and Control

S/NO Groundwater

type

Sites 3 Coordinates Groundwater

type

Sites 4 Coordinates

1 BH Jewel Hotel 9049’34.6”N

11018’19.2”E BH

GGASS

KTL

9049’39.0”N

11019’04.6”E

2 HW First Bank 9049’35.9”N

11018’48.1”E

HW Poam dindin 9049’05.4”N

11018’25.0”E

3 HW Millionaire

QRTS

9049’55.4”N

11018’43.1”E BH

Poam

dindin 2

9049’05.8”N

11018’26.6”E

4 HW Millionaire

QRTS

9049’55.9”N

11018’36.1”E HW

Lambu

Area

9049’01.5”N

11018’27.7”E

5 BH Millionaire

QRTS

9049’42.8”N

11018’39.6”E BH

Lambu

Area

9049’04.5”N

11018’29.0”E

6 HW Ladur 9049’40.8”N

11018’10.5”E HW

L.D

Crawford

9049’38.7”N

11018’48.5”E

7 HW Kalargu 9049’33.9”N

11017’51.3”E BH

Ture

Ballam

9049’14.3”N

11022’44.9”E



8 HW Kangkubo 9049’26.7”N

11018’12.6”E BH

Ture

Mai

9049’48.4”N

11022’30.9”E

9 HW Ladur 2 9049’46.7”N

11018’01.8”E BH

Ture

Pandi

9049’46.5”N

110’21'48.8”E

9049’50.4”N

11018’46.1”E 10

HW Kalargu

9049’46.7”N

11018’01.8”E HW

M.Qrts

Extension

11 *HW Biliri 1 9053'49.8"N

11013'10.8"E *HW Biliri 2

9053'27.5"N

11013'15.2"E

Key: * Control Sites



3. MATERIALS AND METHODS

Water sampling techniques and preservation

Groundwater samples were collected in April, 2013, according

to standard procedures by (APHA, 1998) from four quaternary

sections. Ten Samples each were collected from different

boreholes and hand-dug wells from each quaternary section; two

samples were also collected from hand-dug wells in Biliri LGA

which served as control. This gave a total of forty two samples,

twenty five water samples from hand-dug wells, fifteen water

samples from boreholes all within Kaltungo and two from Biliri

in Gombe State, Nigeria. The samples were collected in

pre-cleaned 1 litre polyethylene plastic bottle and acidified with

Analar grade concentrated nitric acid to < pH 2.0 and

respectively labeled. Groundwater samples were obtained

directly from the water pump after allowing the water to run for

at least five minutes and each sample bottle and its cap rinsed

three times with the water sample. These samples were

subsequently stored at 4°C for as short a time as possible before

analysis to minimize physicochemical changes (Anonymous,

1996).

Parameters with extremely low stability such as pH, electrical

conductivity, and temperature, were measured on the field using

field kit. Thereafter the samples were transported to the

laboratory for further analysis of other parameters.

DIGESTION OF WATER SAMPLES

100 ml of well mixed acid preserved water sample was

transferred into a beaker and 5 ml of concentrated nitric acid was

added. The beaker was placed on a heater and allowed to

evaporate to about 5 ml without boiling. This took about 35 min,

diluted to 100 ml in a volumetric flask and was ready for analysis.

These procedures were adopted for all water samples (Nouri et

al., 2006). Thereafter, metals of interest (Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn)

were assayed using Varian AA240FS Atomic Absorption

Spectrophotometer.

Reagent and instrumentation

All reagents used were of analytical grade. Thermometer, pH

meter; Varian AA240FS Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer

was used respectively for the sample analysis.

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

FIGURE 1: Comparison of the cadmium concentrations (mg/L) in water samples and the maximum Limit set by WHO/SON for site 1-4

0.000

0.005

0.010

0.015

0.020

0.025

0.030

0.035

0.040

0.045

0.050 CADMIUM IN SITE 1

CADMIUM IN SITE 2

CADMIUM IN SITE 3

CADMIUM IN SITE 4

WHO MAX LIMIT

CONTROLS

Sampling Sites

Cd

Co

nce

ntr

atio

ns

mg/

L



FIGURE 2: Comparison of the copper concentrations (mg/L) in water samples and the maximum limit Set by WHO/SON for site 1-4

FIGURE 3: Comparison of the iron concentrations (mg/L) in water samples and the maximum limit set by WHO/SON for site 1-4

0.000

0.500

1.000

1.500

2.000

COPPER IN SITE 1

COPPER IN SITE 2

COPPER IN SITE 3

COPPER IN SITE 4

WHO MAX LIMIT

CONTROLS

Sampling sites

Cu C

on

centr

atio

ns

in

m

g/L

0.000

5.000

10.000

15.000

20.000

25.000 IRON IN SITE 1

IRON IN SITE 2

IRON IN SITE 3

IRON IN SITE 4

WHO MAX LIMIT

CONTROLS

Sampling Sites

Fe C

on

cen

trat

ion

s in

mg/

L



FIGURE 4: Comparison the manganese concentrations (mg/L) in water samples and the maximum limit set by WHO/SON for site 1-4

FIGURE 5: Comparison of the zinc concentrations (mg/L) in water samples and the maximum limit set by WHO/SON for site 1-4

0.000

0.200

0.400

0.600

0.800

1.000

1.200

1.400

1.600

1.800

2.000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 control1

control2

MANGANESE IN SITE 1

MANGANESE IN SITE 2

MANGANESE IN SITE 3

MANGANESE IN SITE 4

WHO MAX LIMIT

CONTROLS

Sampling Sites

Mn

Co

nce

ntr

atio

ns

in m

g/L

0.000

0.500

1.000

1.500

2.000

2.500

3.000

3.500

4.000 ZINC IN SITE 1

ZINC IN SITE 2

ZINC IN SITE 3

ZINC IN SITE 4

WHO MAX LIMIT

CONTROLS

Sampling Sites

Zn C

on

cen

trat

ion

s in

mg/

L



Table 1: Correlation matrix of the metal ions variables in water (hand dug wells and boreholes)

Cadmium Copper Manganese Iron Zinc

Cadmium 1.000

Copper -0.055 1.000

Manganese -0.077 0.108 1.000

Iron 0.004 -0.002 0.005 1.000

Zinc 0.085 0.196* -0.082 0.137 1.000

*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

5. DISCUSSIONS

The results obtained for the concentrations of metals ions (Cd

Cu, Mn Fe, and Zn) in the water samples collected from different

hand-dug wells and boreholes, was compared with the

WHO/SON maximum permissible limit. The results are

presented as a bar chart above.

CADMIUM: The minimum and maximum concentrations of

cadmium metal ions obtained from the hand-dug wells and

borehole water samples at the four different sampling sites in

Kaltungo as shown in fig (1) range from 0.009 mg/L in the

sample from Aya extension and 0.446 mg/L in the sample from

Ture ballam. The maximum tolerance limit by WHO is (0.003

mg/L). Cadmium metal ion in all the samples including the two

controls collected from Biliri LGA were observed to be above

the maximum permissible limit set by the world health

organization.(WHO) /SON for drinking water.

COPPER: The minimum and maximum concentrations of

copper obtained from the hand-dug wells and borehole water

samples at the four different sampling sites in Kaltungo as shown

in fig (4), range from 0.031 mg/L in the sample from Aya

extension, sabon Layi, poam dindin and 0.596 mg/L in the

sample from GSSS Lakanje. The maximum permissible limit by

WHO is (2.0 mg/L). All the samples including the two controls

collected from Biliri LGA were observed to be below the

maximum permissible limit set by the world health organization.

(WHO)/ SON for drinking water. Copper is an essential nutrient,

but at high doses it has been shown to cause stomach and

intestinal distress, liver, kidney damage, and anemia (US EPA,

2003)

IRON: Most groundwater contains some iron because it is

common in many aquifers and it is found in trace amounts in

practically all sediments and rock formations. The minimum and

maximum concentrations of iron obtained from the hand-dug

wells and borehole waters at the four different sampling sites in

Kaltungo as shown in fig (3) range from 0.395 mg/L in the

sample from (Kasar Waje) and 22.912 mg/L in the sample from

Poshereng Ka’awe. The maximum permissible limit by

WHO/SON is 0.3mg/L for iron, all samples including the two

controls collected from Biliri LGA were observed to be above

the maximum permissible limit set by the world health

organization.(WHO) for drinking water. This indicates that the

local mineral deposit in the studied area may have high levels of

iron.

ZINC: Zinc imparts an undesirable astringent taste to water at a

taste threshold concentration of about 4mg/L (as zinc sulfate).

The minimum and maximum level of zinc metal ion obtained

from the hand-dug wells and boreholes water samples at the four

different sampling sites in Kaltungo as shown in Fig (5) range

from 0.073 mg/L in the sample from Lambu Area and 1.672

mg/L in the sample from Lambu Area two. The maximum

permissible limit by WHO/SON is (4.0 mg/L), for zinc metal

ions all samples including the two controls collected from Biliri

LGA were observed to be below the maximum permissible limit.

MANGANESE: The minimum and maximum concentration of

Manganese metal ions obtained from the hand-dug wells and

borehole waters at the four different sampling sites in Kaltungo

as shown in fig (4), range from 0.046 mg/L in sample from

Termana well and 1.850 mg/L in the sample from Sabon Layi

Poam dindin. The maximum permissible limit by WHO/SON is

0.1mg/L, for manganese metal ions all samples excluding those

from (Termana HW, Biliri control 1 and Baganje borehole) were

observed to be above the maximum permissible limit set by the

world health organization.(WHO) for drinking water.

6. CONCLUSION

The results of the above work showed that copper and zinc were

within the acceptable limits respectively for the heavy metals

measured. However, cadmium, manganese and iron were mostly



found to exceed the maximum permissible limit as recommended

by WHO/SON at some study sites. Dissolution of rock minerals

with the groundwater is a possible reason for pollution. All the

above results confirmed the high pollution of ground water

sources and hence, they are not suitable for consumption without

any prior treatment.

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