Physicochemical Characteristics of Groundwater Quality of Dumne Area NE Nigeria

Abstract

The aim of this study is to assess the shallow groundwater quality of Dumne Area of northeastern Nigeria for drinking and domestic purposes. The study area is underlain by the alluvium, basalt, gneisses and granitic rocks of northeastern Nigeria. Twenty water samples collected from hand-dug wells and boreholes tapping shallow aquifer were analyzed. Chemical analyses were performed in the laboratory employing standard methods viz Atomic Adsorption Spectrophotometer for cations and conventional titration for anions. In addition ions in milligram per litre were converted to milliequivalent per litre and anion balanced against cations as a control check of the reliability of the analyzed results. The analyzed chemical parameters was interpreted and the result revealed that all other parameters with the exception of pH, potassium, total hardness and zinc falls below the guidelines established by local and international standards. The Gibbs diagrams show that all the groundwater and surface water samples fall within the rock dominance portion indicating that the water quality is largely controlled by water-rock interactions. A plot of the Trilinear diagrams of the water samples indicate Na++K+ as the major cations and SO42- as the major anions with Na++K+ facies as the hydrogeochemical facies. This suggests significant groundwater mixing, water-rock interaction and a common source for both surface water and groundwater samples. Finally it is suggested that all the water samples with high values of pH, Mn2+, phosphate, Fe2+ potassium, total hardness and zinc that falls above the guidelines established by local and international standards for drinking and domestic purposes should be treated before use.