Exploration of concentration and variation of heavy metals in some borehole water from basement formation In Charanchi local government, Katsina state of Nigeria

Heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium can contaminate water sources and pose serious health risks when consumed. Considering their potential health implications, this research aims to investigate the concentration and variation of heavy metals in some borehole water from basement formation in Charanchi local government area of Katsina state. The objectives are to identify heavy metals and their levels of concentration, understand the variation of heavy metals across the study area, and compare the result with the internationally accepted standard concentration value. Twenty borehole water samples were collected, and the coordinates of the various locations were taken using a handheld GPS. Microwave plasma Atomic Emission spectrometer (MP-AES) was used to analyze the concentration of the five heavy metals (Cd, As, Co, Pb, and Cr), and the mean concentration in part per million (ppm) was obtained using statistical analysis. The results obtained show that Charanchi local government Borehole’s water has an average heavy metal (Cd, As, Co, Pb and Cr) concentration of 0.0301, 14.058, 0.303, 0.113 and 0.050 (ppm) respectively. The differences were obtained by comparing the mean concentration of the heavy metals in the study area with that of the World Health Organization (W.H.O) and NAFDAC threshold limit standard. It was observed that the samples were contaminated with arsenic (As) metal which has high-risk implications. There is a need for urgent intervention and remediation measures by the authority concerned. It was recommended that Water treatment processes should be considered to reduce heavy metal levels, especially arsenic in the study area.