Public Health Implications of Water Quality of the Kiri Reservoir, Adamawa State, Northeastern Nigeria
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Senior Research Thesis PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF WATER QUALITY OF THE KIRI RESERVOIR, ADAMAWA STATE, NORTHEASTERN NIGERIA Lynne R. Baker By AISHATU MANU SORO A00016772 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science 2016 AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF WATER QUALITY OF THE KIRI RESERVOIR, ADAMAWA STATE, NORTHEASTERN NIGERIA This thesis represents my original work in accordance with the American University of Nigeria regulations. I am solely responsible for its content. AISHATU MANU SORO ______________________________ ________________ Signature Date I further authorize the American University of Nigeria to reproduce this thesis by photocopying or by any other means, in total or in part, at the request of other institutions or individuals for the purpose of scholarly research. AISHATU MANU SORO ______________________________ ________________ Signature Date ii PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF WATER QUALITY OF THE KIRI RESERVOIR, ADAMAWA STATE, NORTHEASTERN NIGERIA AISHATU MANU SORO A00016772 Approved by Research Supervisor: Lynne R. Baker, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Natural and Environmental Sciences ______________________________ ________________ Signature Date Second Reader: Bolade Agboola, Ph.D. Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Petroleum Chemistry ______________________________ ________________ Signature Date iii DEDICATION This project is dedicated to you, Dad. I pray that you get well soon. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS All praises and thanks are due to Allah (SWA) for being my strength throughout this project. A very big bear hug to all my family and friends. Dear Mummy, thank you so much for your prayers and for giving me hope. To Ya Nura, thank you for being a lovely and wonderful being. You have been an angel right from day one. In you, I found peace and happiness. I love you and want you to know that I will forever respect and cherish the genuine bond we share. Thank you for being the best brother in the world. You are truly a delight. My sincere gratitude and appreciation goes to Dr. Lynne R. Baker. You are more than a faculty advisor to me and to this outstanding project. You have been an unbending support system to this project and would not have been possible without you. Thank you for your unfailing attention and for believing in me. I appreciate the many hours you spent on the sampling technique and the many hours we spent on the boat. Thank you very much for being like a mother to me. It was a pleasure working with you. I am also thankful to Prof. Bolade Agboola for being a second reader to this amazing project. Thank you, Professor, for your time and for giving me a home in the Petroleum Chemistry department. I am grateful to Dr. Hayatu M. Raji for assisting me with the parasitic worm test. Special thanks to Mrs. Vastinah Teneke from the Ministry of Environment; Engineer Abubakar H. Ma’azu, Managing Director of the Upper Benue River Basin Authority; and to Mr. Jabo Beko, traditional ruler of Kiri. v I also appreciate Sylvester O’Donnell and Luqman Jimoh for their assistance in the NES and Petroleum Chemistry labs. Special thanks to Sylvester for joining me in the field and providing key laboratory help. Lastly, I thank AUN for providing a platform for me to achieve beyond my potential. vi PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF WATER QUALITY OF THE KIRI RESERVOIR, ADAMAWA STATE, NORTHEASTERN NIGERIA AISHATU MANU SORO American University of Nigeria, 2016 Major Professor: Lynne R. Baker, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Natural and Environmental Sciences ABSTRACT Both water pollution and water scarcity are increasing global problems and particularly serious challenges for Africa. According to the World Health Organization, more people lack access to safe water in Africa than anywhere else in the world. To meet the growing demand for water worldwide, dams and irrigation systems are often built, particularly to provide water for agricultural needs. However, dams, especially large dams, may promote the spread of water-associated diseases. Completed in 1982, the Kiri Dam reservoir in Adamawa State, northeastern Nigeria, supports the water needs, which at times includes drinking, for many people living around the reservoir. To assess overall water quality and presence of disease indicators in the Kiri reservoir, and to establish baseline data for future monitoring, I collected water samples (near-shore and open-water sites) in October 2016. I evaluated the samples for physico-chemical and biological characteristics and compared some values to national and international standards for drinking water. I found microorganisms that indicate contamination, such as Escherichia coli, in all near-shore samples and eggs of parasitic worms, including Schistosoma hematobium and most likely Echinococcus granulosus, in most near-shore samples. Aside from vii average turbidity (727.4 NTU), most of the physico-chemical parameters I measured did not exceed international standards. Overall, I found that the Kiri reservoir is not heavily polluted; however, some important parameters were not measured in this study, including heavy metals, nitrates, and pesticides. Future research should concentrate on these parameters, indicator bacteria, and helminths, and a monitoring program should be established. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS CERTIFICATION........................................................................................................ii READERS’ APPROVAL...........................................................................................iii DEDICATION.............................................................................................................iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..........................................................................................v ABSTRACT...............................................................................................................vii LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................x LIST OF FIGURES.....................................................................................................xi CHAPTER 1...............................................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 1 Diseases & Water Quality ....................................................................................... 5 Dams, Reservoirs, & Disease ............................................................................... ...8 Case of Nigeria ..................................................................................................... .10 HYPOTHESES ..................................................................................................... 16 AIMS & OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................ 16 CHAPTER 2 ............................................................................................................ 17 MATERIALS & METHODS ................................................................................ 17 Study Site ............................................................................................................... 17 Sampling ................................................................................................................ 19 CHAPTER 3 ............................................................................................................ 24 RESULTS ............................................................................................................. 24 CHAPTER 4 ............................................................................................................ 28 DISCUSSION ...................................................................................................... 28 CHAPTER 5 ............................................................................................................ 32 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................... 32 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................ 33 ix LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Some neglected tropical diseases caused by parasitic worms (helminths) ......................................................................................................................................7 Table 2. Physico-chemical and biological parameters tested in this study, site of test (on-site or in the laboratory), as well as methods and materials used.......................22 Table 3. Maximum values for drinking water for parameters measured and tested in this study.....................................................................................................................23 Table 4. Final sampling sites, number of samples, and measurement depths........... 24 Table 5. Sampling locations and measured physico-chemical parameters from this study............................................................................................................................26 Table 6. Near-shore sampling locations, detected bacteria in samples, and results by method (media)......................................................................................................27 x LIST