Assessment of the Physicochemical Parameters, Geoaccumulation Indices and Contamination Factor of Sediments from Mairua Dam, Faskari Lga, Katsina Northwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Sani Uba, Victor O. Ajibola, Oluwaseun S. Adeosun, Divine C. Ikeh, Abdulhameed. Mikail, Abel K. John and Murtala M. Rumah

Sediment constitutes a major reservoir for several aquatic pollutants including heavy metal ions. Consequently, the present study focused on the assessment of the levels of concentrations of various contaminants in sediment from Mairua dam. The study adopted different contamination indices including geo-accumulation indices (Igeo), and contamination factor (Cf). The results generated from experiments indicated the mean pH, EC, Cl^- and in the following ranges: 7.31±0.014 (S4) to 8.54±0.085 (S8), 0.74±0.057(S8) to 1.6±0.00 µs/cm (S9), 0.6±0.00(S5,S11) to 8.95±0.071(S5) and 0.07±0.00 (S2, S6, S10) to 0.105±0.00 mg/kg (S3,S8,S11), respectively. Also, measured concentrations of   , K⁺, and CEC in the sediment samples were in the following ranges: 9.4305±0.537 (S1) to 150.85±1.06 (S11), 0.21±0.00 (S6, S11) to 0.795±0.007 mg/kg(S5) and 8.35±0.495(S11) to 19.25±0.495 mg/kg (S5). A comparison of the various analytical parameters with sampling stations (S1 to S10) indicated that the highest concentrations of environmental contaminants were concentrated at S9 while the least was recorded at S6 and S11, respectively. The mean pH for all the sampling stations (except S2 and S10) was within the WHO (2011) recommended range of 6.5 to 8.5, which validated the sediment samples to fit weak acidic to weak alkaline classification. Similar remarks about meeting the WHO (2011) recommended limits were deduced from measured values of EC, Cl^-, NO₃-N, and K⁺ in the analyzed sediment samples. Evaluated values of geochemical indices and contamination factors gave evidence that the sediment samples are moderately polluted as well as the contamination factors.