Hydrological and Public Health Implications of Dumpsite-Induced Ground and Surface Water Contamination in South-western, Nigeria

Environmental pollution has been increasing globally over decades which have contributed to negative impact on the environment and human health. Waste are generated on a daily basis due to intensity of human activities due to increase in population, urbanization and industrialization which had led to increase in the demand for water consumption. Adequate waste management facility is a pivot to urban infrastructure that ensures protection of the environment and human. Groundwater has become a dependable source of water supply to supplement the needs of city dwellers in many of the developing countries like Nigeria. Open dumping and indiscriminate disposal of waste in our environment threatens the public health resulting to water pollution. Therefore, sustainable waste management practices with regular compliance with environmental regulations are necessary to preserve the environment. This study examines the physicochemical and bacteriological characteristics of ground and surface water impacted by waste dumps and its possible health implications on the dwellers of Ilokun village in Ado-Ekiti metropolis. Samples were collected from three (3) hang dug wells, a bore hole (1) and surface water around the vicinity of the dumpsite and analyzed for parameters such as Odour, pH, Turbidity, Total dissolved solids (TDS), Total Alkalinity, Electrical conductivity, Total hardness, Calcium hardness, magnesium hardness, Nitrate, Nitrite, Iron, Magnesium, manganese, Chloride, Aerobic mesophilic count and Total coliform using standardized laboratory methods. The physicochemical analysis revealed varying levels of adherence to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. The bacteriological characteristics of the water samples showed that Aerobic Mesophilic Count, cfu/ml values of the water samples ranged from13.20 x 10² to 19.80 x 10² which implies that all the water samples are not within the recommended standard of 1.0 x 10²cfu/ml. Total coliform in terms of Most Probable Number (MPN/100ml) ranged from 4 to 26 which shows that all the water samples are above the limit of Nil (0). The Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) ranged between 113.23mg/l to 923.00mg/l with an average of 589.08mg/l while Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) also ranged between 189.35 to 680mg/l with an average of 512.45mg/l indicating presences of high organic matter of leachate. The study revealed that the water is contaminated and not fit for consumptions to prevent human health risks. It is therefore, important that the dumpsite should be properly designed to prevent leachate infiltration and regular monitoring of groundwater quality is done in the vicinity to ensure that the water is portable to prevent spreading of water related diseases.