Research Journal of Environmental and Earth Sciences 4(4): 424-427, 2012 ISSN: 2041-0492 Maxwell Scientific Organization, 2012

2 Submitted: December 20, 2011 Accepted: January 26, 2012

Published: April 15, 2012

Pollutional Status of Kubanni Lake Through Metal Concentrations in Water and Sediment Columns, Zaria - Nigeria
J.A. Adakole and D.S. Abolude Department of Biological Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
Abstract: The aim of this study is to evaluate the level of pollution of kubanni lake. Concentrations of some metals in water and sediment columns of Kubanni lake were investigated for a 2 year period (2002-2004). Samplings were done monthly at 5 different sites. The concentrations of the metals were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The pH fluctuated between acidity (6.50) and alkalinity (9.0). The mean temperature, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen and hardness are: 24.97.29C, 69.200.72 :/cm, 07.250.05 mg/ and 124.778.11 mg/. CaO3, respectively. Mg, Ca, Pb, Co, Cd and Cr were detected in all the water samples with means of 1.47.08, 9.210.52, 1.220.05, 1.260.05, 0.020.01 and 0.860.04 mg/L respectively. The dry season means of Mg, Ca and Pb were higher than the rainy season means while a reverse trend was observed for Co and Cr. The sediment metal concentrations correlated positively with the water metal concentrations. The detection of Pb and Cd in Kubanni lake indicates the contamination of the lakes water by human activity. The concentrations of Cr, Cd and Pb in both sediments and water were above WHO recommended limits. Also, the Ca: Mg ratio obtained for Kubanni lake water is 6:1, indicating Mg deficiency of the lakes water. Consequently, the lake water is not suitable for irrigational purposes in terms of Ca: Mg ratio. Key words: Ca: Mg ratio, effluents, lake, metals, permissible-limit INTRODUCTION The rate of water pollution of all types has increased much more as compared to other fields of pollution due to the discharge of all sorts of obnoxious matter into it (Akhtar et al., 2005). The global concern about heavy metals in the environment stem from their persistence, toxicity and bioaccumulation in the trophic chain (Adakole, 2000; Nnaji and Okoye, 2006).When heavy metals enter water bodies, they change water quality, bind to sediments and accumulate in aquatic biota causing anemia, disturbance of physiological functions and mortalities of fish (Post, 1983). Specifically, aquatic organisms experience histological and morphological changes in tissues; physiological changes like suppression of growth/development, poor swimming performance, changes in blood composition and circulation, behavior and reproduction (Adakole et al., 1998; Widianarko et al., 2000), adversely affecting aquatic biodiversity. This adversely affects fish farming through decrease in revenue and profitability. Heavy metals also pose a serious threat to humans through ingestion of metal enriched aquatic organisms. Anthropogenic activities like mining, final disposal of treated and untreated waste effluents containing toxic metals as well as metal chelates (Amman et al., 2002) from different industries, e.g. tannery, steel plants, battery industries, thermal power plants and also the indiscriminate use of heavy metal containing-fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture are some of the main causes of metal pollution in the aquatic ecosystems. Though some metals like Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni and Zn are essential as micronutrients for life processes in plants and microorganisms, other like Cd, Cr and Pb have no known physiological activity and have been proved detrimental beyond a certain limit (Marschner, 1995; Bruins et al., 2000). At low levels in water, some elements like Cd (0.01 mg/L), Pb (0.10 mg/L) (ISL, 1982) and Cu (0.05 mg/L) pose threats to humans (Nnaji and Okoye, 2006). Deadly diseases like edema of eyelids, tumor, congestion of nasal mucous membranes and pharynx, stuffiness of the head and malfunctions in genetic makeup, gastrointestinal cavity, muscular, reproductive and neurological systems caused by some of these heavy metals have been documented (Johnson, 1998; Abbasi et al., 1998; Tsuji and Kargatzides, 2001). Various geochemical and environmental factors influence metal availability/toxicity to aquatic organisms (Luoma, 1983; Amman et al., 2002). These include; solute metal speciation, influence of other metals, temperature, pH among others. Therefore, monitoring metals in aquatic environment is important for safety assessment of the environment and human health in particular. Regarding this background,

Corresponding Author: J.A. Adakole, Department of Biological Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria

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Res. J. Environ. Earth. Sci., 4(4): 424-427, 2012

Fig. 1: Map of Nigeria and part of Zaria region showing Kubanni lake and location of sampling sites

this survey monitored the surface water of Kubanni dam; considering environmental factors variables and metal content. The status of the lakes water quality was evaluated with respect to drinking and agricultural/irrigation purposes. MATERIALS AND METHODS Study area and sampling sites: Kubanni lake, also called Ahmadu Bello University dam, is constructed on river Kubanni in 1973. The lakes major use is to supply water to the University community. The lake (reservoir) catchments area is 57 Km2 (22 square miles), its width is 122 m (400 feet), mean depth is 6 m (20 feet), water level during wet season is 644.81 m and the corresponding crest is 646.34 m. The lake is located approximately within latitude 1111!N and longitude 738!E in SamaruZaria, Kaduna state, Nigeria (Fig. 1). It is located within the premises of Ahmadu Bello University, main campus. The lakes two tributaries are the Kampagi and Samaru streams. Kampagi stream, which originates from a rural settlement, has a seasonal flow whereas Samaru stream that originates from a semi-urban settlement has an allyear-round flow due to its sustenance by urban runoffs 425

and seepages. Five sampling sties were chosen, each about 22.002.00 m from the other (Fig. 1). Sample collection and analysis: Water and sediment samples were collected from each of the sampling stations on Kubanni lake for a 2 year period (2002-2004). The water temperature (oC) (1m below water surface) was determined in the field using a mercury thermometer. Electrical conductivity and hydrogen ion concentration (pH) by using Jenway 4010 conductivity m and Kent Eil 7055 pH m models respectively. Total hardness and dissolved oxygen were determined by burette titration while metals were determined by using atomic absorption spectrophotometer after digestion (APHA, 1992). The metals analysed were Mg, Ca, Pb, Co, Cd and Cr, respectively. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The pH of the lake water fluctuated between acidity (6.50) and alkalinity (9.0) with an overall mean of 7.450.03. Seasonal mean values of pH varied from 7.34 in rainy season to 7.51 during the dry season. Nnaji and Okoye (2006) reported that as pH decreases, more

Res. J. Environ. Earth. Sci., 4(4): 424-427, 2012

Table 1: Mean concentrations (mg/L) of metals in water and sediment samples from Kubanni lake Water --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mg Ca Cr Co Cd Pb Mg Ca Cr Site 1 1.35 7.85 0.73 1.15 0.02 1.18 1.36 8.05 0.75 Site 2 1.37 9.43 0.84 1.35 0.02 1.26 1.41 9.71 0.86 Site 3 1.28 8.89 0.78 1.21 0.04 1.26 1.31 9.24 0.8 Site 4 2.3 8.9 1 1.33 0.01 1.15 2.26 9.16 1.03 Site 5 1.07 10.87 0.96 1.27 0.01 1.22 1.1 11.19 0.96 Dry season 2.33 12.71 0.67 1.16 0.02 1.6 2.4 13.09 0.69 Rainy season 0.61 5.71 1.05 1.36 0.02 0.83 0.68 5.88 1.08 Meansd 1.470.47 9.201.09 0.860.11 1.260.08 0.020.01 1.210.04 1.510.48 9.471.13 0.880.11 Permissible limit* >270 0.05 0.05 0.05 (WHO, 1996) Sediment --------------Co 1.18 1.39 1.24 1.36 1.3 1.19 1.4 1.290.08 0.05

dissolved metal ions are produced. Ionic forms of heavy metals could induce acute poisoning in aquatic animals leading to kills while complex forms could cause chronic poisoning and bioaccumulation in fish tissues (Baeyens et al., 2005). The mean temperature of the lake during the study period is 24.950.09C. There is a non significant correlation (p<0.05) between temperature and pH. Temperature correlated positively with all the sediment and water metals. As temperature increases, rate of biological processes increase and may result in increase in metal uptake by fish (Adakole and Alabi, 2007). Mean values of electrical conductivity and dissolved oxygen were greater in the dry season than during the rainy season. The DO of the lake ranged between 5.20 and 9.60 mg/L, with a mean of 7.25 mg/L. The least water hardness (61.00 mg/L.CaCO3) was obtained in September at site 1 while the highest (206.85 mg/L.CaCO3) was obtained in June at site 2. Depending on pH and alkalinity, hardness of above about 200 mg/L can result in scale deposition, particularly on heating [2]. Soft waters with a hardness of less than about 100 mg/L have a low buffering capacity and may be more corrosive to water pipes (WHO, 1996). The variations of the metals in lake kubanni is as presented on Table 1. The water and sediment alkaline metals, Ca and Mg concentrations varied between seasons and among sampling sites. Both metals were almost below detection in the months of May, June, August and September. This observation could be attributed to dilution from rainfall while the sharp increase in October could be due to anthropogenic sources. In a similarly study, Kar et al. (2008) had attributed an observed decrease in metal levels due to water dilution from rainfall. The means of Ca and Mg in water were 9.210.52 and 1.470.01 mg/L, respectively. Calcium usually is higher than magnesium in waters; as these elements increase the tendency for sodium to be toxic decreases (Adakole, 2000). When water hardness is greater than 150.00 mg/L as obtained in this investigation, it is important to check the amount of calcium and magnesium dissolved in the water and determine the Ca: Mg ratio. This ratio should be 3 to 5 mg/L calcium to 1 mg/L magnesium (Terry and Ulrich, 1974; Nelson, 1998). If there is more calcium than this ratio, it can block the ability of the plant to take up 426

magnesium, causing a magnesium deficiency (Terry and Ulrich, 1974; Marschner, 1995; Nelson, 1998). Conversely, if the ratio is less than 3-5 Ca: 1 Mg, the high proportion of magnesium can block the uptake of calcium, causing a calcium deficiency (Terry and Ulrich, 1974). From Table 1, the Ca: Mg ratio obtained for Kubanni lake water is 6:1, indicating Mg deficiency of the lakes water. Consequently, the lake water is not suitable for irrigational purposes. The dry season water values of Mg, Ca and Pb were significantly higher than during the rainy season. Cr and Co were higher in the rainy season than in the dry season. Mean monthly values of chromium varied between 0.05 to 2.99 mg/L with an over all mean of 0.800.04 mg/L. The monthly mean of Co concentrations were consistently above 1.00 mg/L among the sampling sites. The monthly mean concentrations of the four heavy metals (Pb, Cr, Cd and Co) in water samples were in the range 0.00-3.78, 0.05-2.99, 0.00-1.00 and 0.06-2.45 mg/L, respectively. The relative concentrations of the heavy metals in sediment are: Co>Pb>Cr>Cd. Similar trend had also been reported by Kar et al. (2008). A non significant correlation was observed between water Pb and water Cr. The effect of heavy metals on man can be additive, antagonistic or synergic. For instance, Zn and Cu are Cd antagonists and so adverse effects of high Cd intake can be reduced by above normal amounts of Zn and Cu in the body (Nnaji and Okoye, 2006). The means of all the metal concentrations in water positively significantly correlated (p<0.05) with the metals in sediment. The sediment mean concentrations of each of the elements were higher than their respective concentrations in water (Table 1). According to Biney et al. (1994), heavy metals are portioned between water, sediments, suspended solids and aquatic biota in water bodies. Heavy metals accumulate more in sediments than in aquatic organisms and water (Tariq et al., 1996; Ravanelli et al., 1997; Nnaji and Okoye, 2006) and as such sediments act as sinks and sources of supply of heavy metals to overlying water columns. In view of the fact that heavy metals such as Pb, Cd and Zn are good markers of contamination from human activity (Ravanelli et al., 1997), detection of these metals in Kubanni lake indicates contamination of the lakes

Res. J. Environ. Earth. Sci., 4(4): 424-427, 2012 water by human activities. The water and sediment mean concentrations of Cr, Cd and Pb were above the WHO (1996) permissible levels for drinking water. The excess heavy metal load observed during this investigation can be attributed to the discharge of municipal wastes, geology and catchments area of kubanni lake. These results indicate that heavy metal pollution and toxicity might pose some risks to the health of communities residing around and using the lake water for domestic, commercial and socio-cultural purposes. CONCLUSION The pollutional status of Kubanni lake water quality was investigated over a 24 month period. Human activity is implicated for the lakes water low quality. Continued prohibition of farming activities on the lakes immediate borderline and renovation and reactivation of the sewage treatment plants are suggested to avoid further deterioration of the lakes water quality. REFERENCES APHA, 1992. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. 18th Edn., American Public Health Association, Washington, D.C., pp: 1365. Abbasi, S.A., N. Abbasi and R. Soni, 1998. Heavy Metals in the Environment.1st Edn., Mital Publication, New Delhi, India. Adakole, J.A., 2000. The effects of domestic, agricultural and industrial effluents on the water quality and biota of Bindare stream, Zaria-Nigeria. Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Biological Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, pp: 256. Adakole, J.A. and E.E. Alabi, 2007. Effects of sublethal concentrations of a vegetable oil effluent on growth of Clarias gariepinus. Nigerian J. Fisheries, 4: 182-189. Adakole, J.A., J.K. Balogun and F.A. Lawal, 1998. The effects of pollution on benthic fauna in Bindare Stream, Zaria, Nigeria. Nigerian J. Chem. Res., 3: 13-16. Akhtar, N., T. Ahmad, M. Gulfraz and R. Khanum, 2005. Adverse effects of metal ions pollution on aquatic biota and seasonal variations. Pak. J. Biol. Sci., 8(8): 1089-1089. Amman, A.A., B. Michalke and P. Schramel, 2002. Speciation of heavy metals in environemtal water by ion chromatography coupled to ICP-MS. Biochemistry, 372: 448-452. Baeyens,W., M. Leermakers, M.D. Geiter, H.L. Nguyen, K. Parmentier, S. Pamutrakal and M. Elskens, 2005. Over view of trace metal contamination in the Scheldt Estuary and effect of regulatory measures. Hydrobiologia, 540: 141-154. 427 Biney, C., 1994. Review of Heavy Metals. In: Calamari, D. Review of Pollution in the African (Ed.), Environment, CFA/FAO, Rome. Bruins, M.R., S. Kapil and F. W. Oehme, 2000. Microbial resistence to metals in the environment. Ecotoxicol. Enviro. Safety, 45: 198-207. ISL., 1982. Indian Standard Tolerance Limits for Island Surface Water Subject to Pollution, 2nd Revision, Indian Standard Institute, pp: 2296. Johnson, F.M., 1998. The genetic effects of environmental lead. Mutat. Res., 410: 123-140. Kar, D., P. Sur, S.K. Mandal, T. Saha and K.R. Kole, 2008. Assessment of heavy metal pollution in surface water. Int. J. Enviro. Sci. Technol., 5: 119-124. Luoma, S.N., 1983. Bioavailability of trace metals to acquatic organisms: A review. Sci. Total Enviro., 28: 1-22. Marschner, H., 1995. Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants. Academic Press, London. Nelson, P.V., 1998. Greenhouse Operation and Management. Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, ISBN: 0-13-37468. Nnaji, J.C. and F.C. Okoye, 2006. Toxicity of heavy metals to fish: An important consideration for successful aquaculture. Proceedings of the 21st Annual Conference of the Fisheries Society of Nigeria. (FISON), Published by Fisheries, Society of Nigeria, pp: 250-254. Post, G., 1983. Textbook of Fish Health. T.F.H. Publication Inc., New Jersey, pp: 45-56. Ravanelli, M., O. Tubertini, S. Valcher and W. Martinotti, 1997. Heavy metal distribution in sediment cores from western Ross sea (Antartica). Water Air Soil Pollut., 99: 697-704. Tariq, J M. Ashraf, M. Jaffar and M. Afzal, 1996. Pollution status of the Indus River, through heavy metal and macronutrient contents of fish, sediment and water. Water Res., 30(6): 1337-1344. Terry, N. and A. Ulrich, 1974. Effects of magnesium deficiency on the photosynthesis and respiration of leaves of sugar beet1. Plant Physiol., 54: 379-381. Tsuji, L.J.S. and J.D. Karagatzides, 2001. Chronic lead exposture, body condition and Testis mass in wild Mallard Ducks. B. Environ. Contaminat. Toxicol., 67: 489-495. WHO., 1996. WHO guideline values for contaminants in water: Guidelines for Drinking-Water Quality. 2nd Edn., Health Criteria and Other Supporting Information, 2: 971. Widianarko, B., R.A. Verweig, C.A.M. Van Gestel and N.M. Van Straalen, 2000. Spatial Distribution of trace metals in sediments from urban streams of Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia. Ecotoxicol. Environ. Safety, 46: 95-100.