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Assessment of Selected Physico-Chemical Parameters of Different Water Sources Quality Beka & al./ Appl. J. Envir. Eng. Sci. 6 N°2(2020) 149-159 Assessment of Selected Physico-Chemical Parameters of Different Water Sources Quality Beka Benti Teshome1*Asamin Yesigat2 and Tarekegn Habte3 1* Dep’t of Water Resources Engineering, School of Civil Engineering & Architecture, Adama Science & Technology University, Adama, Ethiopia 2 Dep’t of Environmental Engineering, College of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Addis Ababa Science & Technology University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 3 Turmi Construction & Industrial College Dean, Jinka, Ethiopia Corresponding author. E-mail : [email protected] Received 08 Apr 2020, Revised 29 May 2020, Accepted 19 Jun 2020 Abstract Even if the surface of the earth is mostly consists of water, very a small amount is usable that makes the resource limited. This precious and limited resource, therefore, must be used with care. The study carried out by taking samples of water from Kulfo River, Hare River, Abaya Lake, and Chamo Lake. This experiment was carried out to analyze selected physio-chemical parameter such as Potassium, Chloride, Acidity, TSS, TDS, TS, pH, Alkalinity, and Salinity by using different approaches. According to the study, Abaya lake sampling site was characterized with pH (8.5), alkalinity (278 mg/L), acidity (177mg/l). Water samples analysis from Chamo lake sampling site was characterized with pH (9.1), alkalinity (471 mg/L), acidity (130 mg/l). Kulfo River sampling site was characterized with pH (8.4), alkalinity (188 mg/L), acidity (117mg/l). Hare River sampling site was characterized with pH (7.8), alkalinity (105 mg/L), acidity (94 mg/l). The analysis of TS, TSS, and TDS has employed using gravimetric method. So, according to this method, TDS and TSS were high in Chamo Lake than Abaya Lake. In similar situation, Kulfo River has high amount of TS and TDS which is 1217 mg/L and 149.6 mg/L respectively when comparing with Hare River, Abaya Lake and Chamo Lake. This study also revealed that Chamo Lake is more saline than Abaya Lake. Therefore, almost all of the water sources are facing pollution problems which need great attention especially to educated peoples on the adverse impacts of their activities on the river water quality and subsequent effect on their health. Keywords: Atomic Absorption Spectrometer, Chemical parameter, physical parameter, Water Quality, Titration, Gravimeter 149 Beka & al./ Appl. J. Envir. Eng. Sci. 6 N°2(2020) 149-159 1. Introduction 1.1. Background Water is the most precious natural resource in the world we are using throughout our entire life for many purposes especially in maintaining human health and welfare. Surface and ground water are polluting due to increase in urbanization, industrialization, agricultural activity and various human activities. According to the study done by Bhatt et al. [1], the quality of an ecosystem is dependent on the physical and chemical qualities of water. The results of variations in all the physical and chemical characteristics of water in a lake and river at a particular place during different seasons and the variations at different places during a particular season reveal some of the significant ecological tendencies of the aquatic system. The estimation of water quality is very important in determining the quality of ecosystem [2]. Safe & potable drinking water needed various treatment methods to raise the quality of drinking water. Water Quality is the examination of physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of water, usually in respect to its suitability for a designated use. Anthropogenic activities such as releasing effluents from industries and dumping domestic sewage into estuaries can degrade the ecosystem. In Ethiopia, the main sources of water are mainly rivers and streams which depend basically on rainfall. The study describes the two Lakes; Lake Chamo and Lake Abaya, and two rivers; Kulfo Rivers and Hare. Physical and chemical analysis was carried out for selected parameters such as pH, alkalinity, salinity, total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), total solids (TS), potassium, chloride concentration and etc. were analyzed for each sources of water types. 1.2 Objective of the study The main objective of the study was to determine selected physico-chemical properties of different sources of water taken from different stations. 1.3 Purpose of the study The purpose of the study might be used to report the condition of different sources of the water based on the finding and putting recommendation for the future uses. 2. Materials and methods 2.1 Description and location of the study area Lake Abaya is found in the SNNPR of Ethiopia. It is located in the Great Rift Valley, east of the Guge Mountains. It is fed by Bilate River on its northern shore, which rises to the southern slopes of Mount Guge. On its southwestern shore lies Arba Minch Town and on its southern shore lies Nechisar National Park. Lake Abaya is 60 km long and 20 km wide, with a surface area of 1160 square kilometer. It has a maximum depth of 13 meters and is found at an elevation of 1268 meters. There are a number of islands in this lake, the largest being Aruro; others include Gidicho, Welege, Galmaka, and Alkali. The lake is red due to a high load of suspended sediments. Lake Abaya does not always have an outflow, but in some years it over flows into Lake Chamo. 150 Beka & al./ Appl. J. Envir. Eng. Sci. 6 N°2(2020) 149-159 Lake Chamo is also found in the SNNPR of Southern Ethiopia, and it is located in the Great Rift Valley at an elevation of 1,235 meters south of Lake Abaya and the city of Arba Minch, and east of the Guge Mountains. The northern end of the lake lies in the Nechisar National Park, measuring 26 km long and 22 km wide, with a surface area of 551 square kilometers and a maximum depth of 10 meters. Kulfo and Sile are the major tributaries of Lake Chamo. Lake Chamo does not always have an outflow, but in some years, it overflows into the Sagan River, and in some years, it is fed by overflow from Lake Abaya. Figure 1: Sampling stations of Lake Chamo and Lake Abaya and its tributaries Kulfo River starts around Zigtiy town from Tingo Mountain and flows through Nechisar National Park. This river is found between Arba Minch Town to the west and Arba Minch University main campus to the east. The exact sampling locations were fixed by using Global Positioning System (GPS) as depicted in the following Table 1. Hare and Bilate rivers contribute more water than other rivers to Abaya lake. Hare river starts from Chencha Town and crosses Addis Ababa road around Shara Town to the east and Arba Minch University main campus to the west. Table 1: GPS reading of Chamo, Kulfo, Abaya and Hare sampling stations S/No Water Sources Stations Latitude, Degree Longitude, Degree Elevation, m Sapling Point One 6.558 38.022 1177 1 Abaya Lake Sapling Point Two 6.237 37.851 1177 Sapling Point Three 6.021 37.635 1177 Sapling Point One 5.909 37.599 1110 2 Chamo Lake Sapling Point Two 5.804 37.563 1110 Sapling Point Three 5.718 37.491 1110 Upstream 6.251 37.566 2747 3 Hare River Bridge Site 6.113 37.561 1253 Down Stream 6.054 37.608 1184 Upstream 6.132 37.486 1430 4 Kulfo River Bridge Site 6.044 37.549 1242 Down Stream 6.014 37.585 1196 151 Beka & al./ Appl. J. Envir. Eng. Sci. 6 N°2(2020) 149-159 2.2. Climate The climate of Ethiopia is influenced by four pressure systems, which cause different rainfall regimes throughout the year. However, most part of the Abaya-Chamo basin show bimodal annual rainfall distribution with short rain in winter and long rain in summer. 2.3 Temperature The temperature records for the study area are obtained from Arba-Minch station. From the data obtained, the annual mean minimum and maximum temperature are 16 and 36 oC, respectively. The hottest and coldest months are February and December, respectively. 2.4 Rainfall The rainy season of the study area is from September -November and April -June, with mean minimum monthly rainfall 34.5mm in January and maximum of 170 mm in April. From October to February, hot and dry weather is predominant. 2.5 Materials used in the study The following materials were used to conduct the experiment; water sample, sample cup, different size bottles, pen/pencils, Newspaper, permanent marker, jar with lid, distilled water, different reagents and etc. 2.6 Collection, transportation and preservation of samples Water samples were collected in the month of February 2015 from Kulfo and Hare River in four stations; upstream middle, upstream edge, downstream middle and downstream edge and from Abaya and Chamo Lake of three different stations. Water samples were collected in cleaned polyethylene bottle, labeled and stored in the dark at 4 °C and brought to the laboratory for further analysis. Physico-chemical characters like total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, total solids, salinity, pH, potassium, alkality and acidity and etc. were analyzed in Water Quality, and Chemistry Laboratory of Arba Minch University. Hare River water sampling Abaya Lake water sampling Kulfo River water sampling 152 Beka & al./ Appl. J. Envir. Eng. Sci. 6 N°2(2020) 149-159 Transportation of water sample using Bajaj Water samples storage in refrigerator Figure 2: Sample collection, transportation and preservation 2.7 Analysis of Water samples pH was measured using pH meter. Potassium, Salinity & Chloride concentration of water was analyzed using Titration method and measured using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS). TSS, TDS & TS were analyzed using gravimetric method which is one of the most potentially accurate classes of analytical methods available using the following equation: ( ) Total Solid (TS) (mg/L) = ………………………………….......….Equation 1 Where, A = Weight of Dish + Dried Residue h, mg, B = Weight of Dish, mg ( ) Total Suspended Solid (TSS) (mg/L) = ………………………........Equation 2 Where; A=Weight of Filter + Dried Residue, mg, B=Weight of Filter, mg ( ) Total Dissolved Solid (TDS) (mg/L) = ……………………......…..Equation 3 Where, A = weight of dried residue + dish, mg, B = weight of dish, mg 2.8 Data Analysis Method The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, presented in the form of tables and graphs.
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