Assessment of Surface Water Contamination and Effect of Textile Effluents on Ibeshe River, Ikorodu, Lagos State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

An increased concern in recent times has been the effect of industrial effluent discharge into the water bodies. Surface water samples of Ibeshe River were studied to find out the pollution load of wastewater generated from the textile industry and its impact on the quality of the receiving river. Water samples were collected at four (4) different points for each of the three (3) steam divisions (the upstream, the midstream and the downstream) bimonthly within one year; 3 months representing wet season and another 3 months representing dry season. The samples were analysed using APHA standard methods of analysis for major physico-chemical parameters of water such as electrical conductivity (EC), pH, colour, odour, total alkalinity (TA), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), phosphate, sulphate, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cu, Ni Cr and Cd. It was found that the surface water quality was contaminated in the upstream region, more in the downstream region and most in the midstream region. Non permissible levels of the physico-chemical parameters were observed in the three stream divisions as the values were not within acceptable limits as prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The study suggests the necessity for the involvement of relevant regulatory agencies to ensure effective and complete treatment of textile effluents before discharge into the water body.

Keywords: Physico-chemical parameters, surface water pollution, textile industry, industrial effluent, WHO standards.