Analysis of the Nutritional Status of Surface (Epie Creek) and Underground (Boreholes) Water Sources in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State

The knowledge of dietary intakes of essential mineral elements from water is also important for proper assessment of the actual contribution of drinking water to daily nutrient requirements aside from food. This study aimed to explain drinking water contribution to the intakes of dietary elements and assess the overall situation in Bayelsa State. Water was sampled following analytical standards from two sources at six locations for four months in Yenagoa. Results show that all the assessed mineral elements were within the recommended dietary intakes; Na, Mg, Ca, Man, Zn, K, F and Cl were within the recommended permissible limits by WHO (2019) except for phosphorus and fluoride. Results from the innovative Drinking Water Nutritional Quality Index ranged between 12.057 - 24.41 for the Epie Creek and 16.324 - 31.131 for boreholes; scientifically described as poor. The overall comprehensive mean Drinking Water Nutritional Quality Index is 37.698; scientifically described as poor, where Ca and Fe exerted the most influence on the DWNQI scores for the studied water samples. These results represented the poor contribution of water nutrient elements for the overall human health; thus, it is a wakeup call for improvement through the provision of reliable potable water in the state.