Comparative Characterization of Saltwater from Kula, Nembe, and Kwale in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

Three samples of water from Kwale, Nembe, and Kula in the Niger Delta were collected and characterized, and the following properties: pH, Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen, Turbidity, Acidity, Alkalinity, Electrical conductivity, Salinity, Oil and Grease, Total Hydrocarbon (THC), Heavy metals, BTEX and Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) were determined. The result of some of the key parameters showed that the Salinity of the Kula water sample is highest with a salt concentration of 13,115mg/L (at 30°C) followed by the Nembe water sample with a salt concentration of 2,500mg/L (at 29.68°C) and Kwale with a small salt concentration of 60mg/L (at 28.67°C). The electrical conductivity of the three water samples followed the same trend as salinity with Kula, Nembe, and Kwale water samples having electric conductivity of 20,101μS/cm (at 30°C), 1,489μS/cm (at 29.68°C), and 122μS/cm (at 28.67°C)respectively. The polyaromatic hydrocarbon content in the three water samples showed that the Nembe water sample has the highest polyaromatictric hydrocarbon of 0.969mg/L followed by the Kwale water sample with 0.705mg/L and Kula water sample with 0.229mg/L. Interestingly the results also showed that n-pentacosane concentration is the highest component of the Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) in the Kula and Kwale samples while n-hexacosane concentration is the highest component of the TPH in the Nembe water sample. This explains why the Nembe water sample is cloudier than the Kwale and Kula water samples. But in BTEX composition the total BTEX is highest in Nembe water, followed by Kwale and the least of these components is in Kula water.