Volume 2, Issue 3, January - June, 2025

Interpretation of hydrochemical data in selected parts of Warri, Southern Nigeria using health risk assessment and heavy metal index

Eyankware MO^1♦, Akakuru OC², Inoni OE³, Osisanya WO⁴, Ukor KP⁵, Umuokoro G⁶

¹Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria
²Department of Geology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria
³Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agricultural, Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, Delta State Nigeria
⁴Department of Physics, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Delta State Nigeria
⁵Department of Geology, Faculty of Science University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria
⁶Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

^♦Corresponding Author
Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Groundwater quality assessment is crucial for ensuring public health and sustainable water resource management. Health risk assessment evaluates health hazards from contaminated groundwater, guiding protective measures; also, heavy metal indices quantify contamination, aiding pollution assessment and regulatory compliance. These tools ensure comprehensive groundwater quality understanding, supporting sustainable resource management and health and environmental protection. Seventeen (17) groundwater samples were taken in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria, and analyzed using the American Public Health Association (APHA) technique to assess their hydrochemical properties and potential health concerns when utilized as drinking water. Sixteen (16) physicochemical parameters were analyzed. The analysis of heavy metals' statistical indices, such as the Contamination Index (CI), Contamination Factor (Cf), Pollution Load Index (PLI), Metal Pollution Index (MPI), Quantification of Contamination (QoC), Potential Ecological Risk Index (ERI), and Pollution Index of Groundwater (PIG), was successfully used to assess the effects of heavy metal contamination on the area's groundwater resources. Deductions from the suggested that there is interaction between geochemical ions found in groundwater within the study area and there are weak to moderate connections between parameters, according to additional findings using Pearson correlation and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Additionally, PCA reveals that loadings within the groundwater system could be the result of nearby anthropogenic activities that are changing the water's chemistry. Results from hydrogeochemical facies showed that in the cation area, Na+K> Mg>Ca>Cl>SO4>HCO3, with a tendency of 35.3 percent SO4> 5.9 percent HCO3> 41.2 percent Cl> 17.6 percent, there is no dominant ionic species. According to results from heavy metal indices such as Cf and PLI, there is no relationship between them and readily accessible groundwater. Additional MPI data indicate that the groundwater in the research area is deemed to be clean, but QoC and ERI results showed that geological processes promote the transfer of heavy metals, which is a possible ecological danger associated with groundwater. The analysis revealed elevated concentrations of heavy metals in certain areas, which may be associated with local human activities. Both correlation and Principal. Component Analysis (PCA) highlighted the significant roles that natural processes and anthropogenic influences play in determining groundwater quality. Health risk evaluations indicated heightened risks for children, suggesting that human activities contribute to these health threats. This research underscores the necessity of regular groundwater monitoring to identify any decline in water quality. The results illustrate the intricate relationship between geological conditions and human activities affecting groundwater quality, highlighting the need for thorough management strategies to ensure sustainable use of water resources and safeguard public health in the region studied.

Keywords: Pollution, Contamination, Rating, Groundwater, Ecological

Discovery Nature, 2025, 2(3), e6dn3107

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v2i3.e6dn3107

Published: 21 May 2025