Abstract

The quality of surface water around Ring road and Orita-Aperin dumpsites were assessed for a period of one year (June 2005 to May 2009) using standards methods of analysis. The following parameters: temperature, turbidity, total dissolves solids (TDS), conductivity, hardness, nitrates, sulphates and ammonia were determined. The mean values per sampling point were temperature (28.40 oC), pH (7.20), total hardness (87.00 mgCaCO₃L^-1 nitrate (11.44 mgL^-1) ammonia (0.12 mgL^-1), sulphate (7.2 mgL^-1), turbidity (431 FTU), total dissolved solids (365 mgL^-1) and conductivity (47.00 mSm^-2mol^-1) for Ring road were not significantly different from those at Orita-Aperin and the other dumpsites. Also, mean values per samples of the same parameters from Agbowo control sites did not differ significantly from those at Ring road, the main dumpsites with the exception of their relatively, high pH, nitrate, ammonia and TDS values. The results were found to compare favourably with WHO and Nigerian Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) limits, exception of turbidity. The study has revealed that surface water quality around the dumpsites has not been severely impacted as is usually assumed, even though it has been polluted to some degree.

 

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