Ifeanyichukwu Clinton Ezekwe

Groundwater occurrence and flow patterns in the Ishiagu mining area of southeastern Nigeria

The Ishiagu area is a water scarce region and has played host to mining activities for more than four decades. Mining-related activities have become a threat to potable water supply in the area. This paper is an attempt to show the extent of this threat and in particular, investigate the regional groundwater occurrence and flow pattern based on GPS, water well and geological data. This basinwide model can be used for further groundwater assessment, pollution control and contaminant management. Groundwater occurs between 2.4 and 9 m in the Lekwesi-Lokpaukwu area; 1.5–3.7 m in the Ndi-Ugbugbor-Ayaragu axis and 1.2–4.6 m in the Ishiagu area. Recharge areas include the Leru-Amaubiri-Lekwesi sandstone hills and the Ihetutu-Ugwuajirija mine field. While the ultimate sink of contamiants is the Ivo River system, other discharge axis is the Ishiagu-Ayaragu axis and the Ogwor Ndi-Ugbugbor zone. An unconfined and a confined (>10) circulation groundwater system was inferred, and flow model reveals that a large part of Ishiag-Ayaragu and Ndi-Ugbugbor part of the study area suffer polluted recharge from the Pb/Zn mining area. Groundwater was also subjected to hierarchical cluster analysis and the existence of 3–4 hydrological regimes, which revealed: Unpolluted recharge areas, areas affected by polluted recharge, a deep water and shallow water circulation and mine effluents.

An assessment of medical waste management in health institutions in Yenagoa, South-South, Nigeria

This study focuses on waste management practices of health institutions in Yenegoa, Nigeria, where rapid urbanisation, poor infrastructure and risk awareness has created a major waste management challenge. Sixty percent of health institutions in the city were studied and it was revealed that standard practice is not followed in the handling and management of biomedical wastes. About 2,000,000 kg of bio-medical waste is generated annually with infectious wastes and sharp items constituting nearly 19%. These wastes are disposed in public waste bins along streets and often dumped in open and unlined landfills. Public health education, stricter legislation and closer supervision of health service providers and training of more biomedical waste experts are recommended.

An investigation of water quality in shallow ground water sources in the Odaube area of Benue State, Nigeria

This study examined shallow ground water quality in Odaube, Benue State, Nigeria. Physico-chemical parameters (taste, odour, pH, conductivity, dissolved solids, hardness, alkalinity, acidity, Nitrate and chloride) and coliform communities were investigated. Generally, results obtained did not meet the acceptable standard of the World Health Organization for potable water. 80% of sampled water sources had odour and taste problems, 10% had pH problems while 20% had elevated nitrate concentrations. Also all the sampled sites showed evidence of serious microbial pollution. This stems from the poor hygienic conditions around water sources and proximity to pit latrines and waste dump sites. Over 90% of the people in the study area depend on these contaminated shallow wells for domestic water as such cheap water treatment options like boiling and the use of chemical additives like water Guard® is highly recommended.

Application of Basin Morphometry Laws in catchments of the south-western quadrangle of south-eastern Nigeria

The relationship between process and form has been at the core of research in fluvial geomorphology. Form-process relationships of a natural river basin are strongly influenced by its hydrologic and sedimentologic processes as basin morphometric properties of length, shape, and relief, change in response to various hydrologic stimuli from the environment, but usually in line with well established laws. In the four river basins (Orashi, Otamiri, Sombreiro, New Calabar) examined in this study, however, empirical evidence does not conform neatly with theoretical postulates. Remarkable variations are noted in the morphometric properties of the catchments, when compared with established morphometric laws. The most varied in conformity are the Orashi and New Calabar basins, although the Sombreiro and Otamiri catchments also show some level of variation. Prime explanation for the morphometric and topographic non-conformity is caused by the nature of surficial material and the profoundly shallow relief of much of the study area, especially the alluvial flood and deltaic plains to the south and south-west of the study area.

TDS-Eh graph analysis: a new water quality index and rural water supply implications of a river affected by mining in south-eastern Nigeria

The Ivo River Basin of south-eastern Nigeria is a water scarce and mining region, which suffers from water scarcity. The influence of mining activities on the quality of the Ivo River and its capacity for community water supply was investigated. Also the efficacy of TDS-Eh graph in explaining water quality was presented. Results indicated that the TDS-Eh graph highlights subtle chemical relationships which control water quality and provide a simple but generic pollution index for rapid water quality assessment. It was also discovered that the Ivo River could become an adequate alternative to groundwater as a source of rural water supply in the study area with an estimated average daily discharge of 6726000 L and a rural population of less than 200000 persons. The Ivo River meets the WHO drinking water standards in 20 physicochemical water quality parameters (pH, temperature, conductivity, turbidity, salinity, TDS, Eh, alkalinity, chloride, nitrate, sulfate, phosphate, calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, zinc, lead and cadmium) analyzed and can therefore (with little treatment) provide up to 133.4% of average community water demand and 83.8% of maximum community water demand. The impact of mining on Ivo River quality was found to have been moderated by the presence of carbonate rocks which may have enhanced the precipitation of heavy metals from the river.