Influence of abattoir discharges on water quality in Oko-Oba, Lagos State. ATBU Journal of Environmental Technology

Abstract

Anthropogenic activity has the tendencies to negatively impact quality of natural resource in the neighbourhood. Water which is required of man for adequate, hygiene and proper sanitation is a typical example of resource that abattoir activity hardly leaves undisturbed. This prompted the current study to assess water quality around Oko-Oba area of Lagos State. Twelve water samples: ten (A-J) from residences, positive (abattoir effluent) and negative (500 m away from) control were randomly collected and analysed for physiochemical, trace and heavy metals using APHA methods of examination and bacteriological (total plate count, coliform count and confirmatory faecal coliform) analysis using Pour Plate method with serial -10dilution of tenfold (10 ). The data obtained were descriptively (mean and standard deviation) and inferentially (Analysis of Variance) analysed using SPSS v23. The results showed that the total plate count test of sample G, and coliform and faecal coliform tests of sample B exceeded the WHO limit (100 cfu/mL). The negative control had 3 cfu/mL (total plate count) and (–ve) for both coliform and faecal coliform tests. The EC of sample G (3.4 µS/m) < WHO limit (1.0 µS/m) and pH of A-J indicated acidic (4.5 - 5.7). None of the heavy metals exceeded the limits in both drinkable water and abattoir effluent samples. The study showed that the abattoir activities minimally contributed to heavy metal loads in all the water samples, though affected the drinkable water compared with the negative control. The study recommended a need for measure to avoid prospective severe contamination.