Assessment of some physical, chemical and biological parameters of Lake Dangana, Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

Ecological systems change over time due to anthropogenic and natural activities, regular monitoring is therefore necessary for identifying malignant changes and conservation of biodiversity. This study was undertaken to ascertain the health and biological diversity of Lake Dangana using both biotic and abiotic indicators. Samples for physico-chemical and biological analyses were collected monthly from four sampling stations in Lake Dangana from January to August, 2020 using standard methods. The results of physico-chemical variables were: temperature (23.5-26.5ºC), dissolved oxygen (3.96-4.13mg/l), biochemical oxygen demand (3.00-.12mg/l), pH (6.88-7.11), conductivity (86.43-94.80µS/cm), nitrate (0.67-0.76mg/l) and phosphate (0.85-1.04mg/l). Conductivity, nitrate and phosphate varied significantly (p<0.05) between stations. A total of 318 individuals from 13 species and 10 families of macroinvertebrates were encountered during the study period. Hemiptera (35.52%), Coleopterans (34.59%), Odonata (22.95%), Dipterans (5.03%) and Oligochaetes (1.87%) were the dominant groups. The first two Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) axes explained 87.33% of macroinvertebrate-environment relationship and pH (-0.99), BOD5 (-0.62), nitrate (-0.61), conductivity (-0.59) and phosphate (-0.57) were the dominant structuring factors. Six bacteria species; Bacillus sp, Escherichia coli, Micrococcus sp., Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella sp and Pseudomonas sp. and five fungi species; Aspergillus fumigatus, A. niger, A. flavus, Penicillium sp and Mucor sp. were encountered. The presence of some of these microorganisms such as E. coli in the lake is an indication of faecal contamination and this could endanger public health.

The Effect of Flood Regime on Water Quality and Plankton Distribution in Bosso Area, Minna, Niger State

“…The pH range obtained in this study was within the acceptable level for 6.5 to 8.5 for culturing tropical fish species and the recommended limit for drinking water (WHO, 2011). The pH range obtained in this study was also in conformity with that of Dangana Lake reported by Adamu et al, (2022). The high alkalinity value observed in this study could be due to high nutrients in water caused by dissolution of calcium carbonate from limestone bedrock that erodes during the natural process of weathering and dilution factor as a result of flood (Kadhim, 2014).…”

“…The research study was carried out to assess the effect of flood on water quality and plankton assemblage of two water bodies in Bosso Area, Minna, Niger State. The mean value of the water temperature recorded for both water bodies in this study was typical of tropical inland fresh water and rivers (Adamu et al, 2021;Adamu et al, 2022). The temperature ranged observed from both water bodies fells within the permissible limits of WHO guideline for drinking water and aquatic life sustainability.…”

“…The pH (hydrogen ion concentration) of water is important because many biological activities can occur within a narrow range of pH. Thus, any variation beyond acceptable range will have impact on aquatic lives (Ebesi et al, 2022;Adamu et al, 2022). The pH range obtained in this study was within the acceptable level for 6.5 to 8.5 for culturing tropical fish species and the recommended limit for drinking water (WHO, 2011).…”

Assessment of the Ecology of Diatoms in Relation to Environmental Variables in Landzu River Bida Niger State Nigeria

“…In favourable circumstances, diatom blooms have the potential to harm other biological systems (Adamu et al, 2021;Ebesi et al, 2021). A river's phytoplankton diversity, quantity, and distribution are directly correlated with the water quality and, by extension, the composition of the entire community (Adamu et al, 2022). The water temperature recorded in this study was within the expectation of African surface waters and allowed for fish production and the survival of aquatic organisms in warm waters (Fadimatu et al, 2020;Adamu et al, 2022;Maishanu et al, 2022).…”

“…Freshwater pollution by human activities is becoming a matter of urgent concern as it threatens environmental productivity and sustainability (Mohammed et al, 2020;Mohammed et al, 2021). Numerous anthropogenic activities such as an increase in urbanization, industrialization and increased agricultural activities have significantly increased pressure on freshwater resources thereby altering the physical, chemical and biological uniqueness of these natural resources (Adamu et al, 2021;Ebesi et al, 2022;Adamu et al, 2022). The physical and chemical characteristics of freshwater coupled with their biological characteristics have been used to ascertain the ecological health of freshwater bodies (Adamu et al, 2021;Ebesi et al, 2022;Adamu et al, 2022;Mohammed et al, 2023).…”