A Statistical Approach for Evaluation of the Effects of Industrial and Municipal Wastes on Warri Rivers, Niger Delta, Nigeria

Abstract

Rivers in Warri, Delta State of Nigeria are of particular importance in surface water pollution studies as they act as receptacles for effluents from oil industries, municipal sewage, agricultural and urban run-off. The water quality of these rivers is thus considerably changed. Results obtained from the analyses were correlated using Pearson's correlation matrix, principal component analysis and pollution index. Positive correlations were observed for pH, conductivity, TDS, Cl − , Mg 2+ , NO 2− 3 , COD, Cd and Ni 2+ . The pollution index, PI, for all the samples (1.11) is considered critical and indicates that the water samples from these rivers require treatment before use. Multivariate statistical and principal component analyses of the data showed three major components: PC1 with variance 6.42 representing 42.8% of the total variability, PC2 with variance 3.76 representing 25.10% of total variability, and PC3 with variance 2.13 representing 14.20% of the total variability. The first three principal components with eigenvalues greater than 1 represent 82.10% of the total variability, suggesting that three principal components adequately explain the variation in the data set. The results of the analyses when compared with World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that the rivers were polluted and so the water from such rivers is not safe for domestic use.

Assessment of surface water quality status of the Aby Lagoon System in the Western Region of Ghana

“…Waste materials and industrial effluent discharges into surface waters in developing countries have gradually depleted the quality of water in recent times ( Onojake et al., 2011 ; Varol and Sen, 2009 ; Boyacioglu, 2007 ). Surface waters are vulnerable to pollution because of their role in accommodating industrial, municipal waste and run off from farmlands within their drainage basins ( Singh et al., 2004 ).…”

“…Some recent studies that have been successful through the use of multivariate techniques include the work of Onojake et al. (2011) , Tanriverdi et al.…”

“… Onojake et al. (2011) used the Pearson correlation analysis to determine the levels of inter-metal relationship of Warri Rivers.…”

Investigation of borehole water contaminant profile at igwuruta solid waste dumpsite, Rivers State, Nigeria

“…Urbanization and municipal activities have contributed to the amount of wastes stream generated which results of the contamination in our environment [1,2]. Groundwater and surface water quality index monitoring has become a subject of concern in marine, land, and river water due to an uncontrolled disposal of municipal wastes and industrial effluent into the surrounding [3]. Industrial wastes have the potential to introduce strong acid to a water body and may cause debilitating effects on both the fauna and flora [5 -8].There have been reports of generation of waste materials and effluents, and their indiscriminate disposal from industries and urbanization.…”

An appraisal of physicochemical parameters and some trace metals at the disposal points of five industrial effluents in Trans-Amadi Industrial Area of Port Harcourt, Nigeria

“…Industrial wastes have the potential to contribute strong acid to a water body and may cause dented effects on both the fauna and flora. Disposal of waste material into water bodies as well as effluents from industrial activities and urbanization in developing countries have gradually led to deterioration of the water quality in recent years (Onojake et al, 2011). The direct release of industrial effluents into rivers and the streams in an arbitrary manner without predetermining the impact of such discharges on animal and plant life is a growing third world environmental problem (Onojake and Frank, 2013).…”