Physicochemical properties of surface water from rumuolumeni axis of new Calabar River, River State, Nigeria

Owing to lots of unregulated anthropogenic activities going on around the aquatic ecosystem of Rumuolumeni axis of New Calabar River, situated in Rivers State of Nigeria, the need to study the impact for a period of 12 months to span through wet and dry seasons became imperative so as to ascertain the current status of the water. Surface water samples were respectively collected at Ogbakiri, Minikpiti, Eagle Cement, Saipem, Mgbuodohia and Agip jetties where such activities are high to evaluate physicochemical parameters using appropriate standard laboratory procedures as stipulated by AOAC and subjected to statistical analysis using MS Excel. The results obtained for the physicochemical parameters showed that temperature measured 26.10±0.14 - 30.58±0.11 (oC), 5.63±0.06 - 7.70±0.14 (pH), 6057.50±81.32 - 15600.0±141.42 mg/l (TDS), 12250±70.71 -30901±15.56 μS/cm (EC), 20.75±0.35 - 59.90±0.14 mg/l, (TSS), 1590.0±155.56 - 6137.5±20.51 mg/l (Cl-), 2606.5±422.14 - 13287.5±88.39 mg/l (Salinity), 4.44±0 - 23.31±0.10 mg/l (DO), 10.37±0.07 - 42.15±0.07 mg/l (COD), 6.50±0 - 26.75±0.07 mg/l (BOD), 0.18±0.03 - 30.23±0.17 NTU (Turbidity), 0.13±0.04 - 33.7±0.36 mg/l (NO3-), 962.50±24.75 - 5957.50±77.07 mg/l (SO42-), 0.06±0.02 - 28.62±0.10 mg/l (THC) and 0.01±0 - 0.93±0.04 mg/l (NH3). Heavy metal concentration varied from 1.12±0.16 - 6.20±0.29 mg/l (Zn), 0.1±0 - 5.71±0.06 mg/l (Cu), 0±0 - 2.96±0.07 mg/l (Cd), 1.08±0.01 - 5.06±0.12 mg//l (Pb), 1.21±0.08 - 6.2±0.04 mg/l (Ni) and 1.44±0.08 - 18.41±0.02 mg/l (Cr). Apart from temperature, pH, NO3- and NH3 which fell within WHO permissible limits, all other physicochemical properties including the heavy metals investigated were all aboveWHO permissible limits. The findings of this study provide data and information on the current status of the river which has shown clearly that it is polluted and requires an urgent attention by regulatory agencies and the government to mitigate further deterioration.