Assessment of Groundwater Quality of Hadejia-Jamaare-Komadugu-Yobe Basin of Nigeria, Using Statistical Approach

Abstract

Assessment of the hydro geochemical processes that control groundwater quality is significant for sustainable development of water resource. This paper reports the results of groundwater samples collected from 81 locations of the intensively cultivated areas of the Hadejia-Jamaare-Komadugu-Yobe basin of Nigeria. The study approach employed the use of statistical tools; conventional descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis on the generated hydrochemical data in order to understand the groundwater condition of the area, with a view to define the concentration of different parameters in the water and other factors controlling the groundwater quality. High mean concentration is observed for Electrical conductivity having (322.1 mg/l), HCO3- (221.09mg/l) and TDS (154.32 mg/l). The low mean concentration is found to be (-3.03mg/l) and (0mg/l), for Mo and Ni respectively. The abundance of major cations in the study area shows the trend of Ca2+ > K+, while that of major anion in the descending order of, HCO3- >SO42- >Cl->NO3. Based on the Eigen value-one criterion, eleven (11) components were chosen after Varimax rotation. The 11 Varimax factors together explained 81.91% of the variance of the data. The first Varimax factor (VF1) contained strong factor loading on Pb, Mo, Cd and Ni which account for 15.404% of the total variability of the water quality data. The 2nd Varimax factor (VF2) has strong loading for EC, TDS, Cl and Temperature with variance of 14.068%. The strong loading for EC, TDS and Cl could be due to salinity built-up process in the area as a result of the intensive agricultural activities. The 3rd Varimax factor (VF3) has higher loadings for NO2, NO3, SO4 and HCO3 with variance of 10.075%. These results suggest the possibility of some anthropogenic activities like application of fertilizers and industrial effluents which may have contributed to the high concentration of some parameters. A natural hydro geochemical process like weathering of different igneous and metamorphic rocks at the upstream part of the study area is another possibility that have resulted in the elevated concentration of some parameters.