Groundwater Quality Assessment in Remediated Oil Spill Sites: Physicochemical and Microbial Characteristics in Obite/Egba, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: In many tropical nations, particularly in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, groundwater pollution is a significant problem. However, governments at all levels are doing little to nothing to provide residents with clean, readily available water. However, more than 2 billion people reside in water-stressed nations, a situation that is anticipated to worsen in some areas as crude oil activities persist in communities. Aim: The present study aimed to determine the groundwater Quality Assessment in Remediated Oil Spill Sites in Obite/Egba, Rivers State, Nigeria. Methodology: This study adopted an analytical cross-sectional study design. This study was carried out in Obite in Ogba/Egbema, Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State. Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. The data from the laboratory were entered into SPSS version 25 for data analysis. Inferential statistics, an independent t-test was performed. The p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered a statistically significant result.  Results: The results from this study show that the pH of the tap water was within the WHO-recommended limit with a value of (6.1 vs 7.0-8.9). The value of the temperature (OC) of the tap water was within the WHO recommended limit, with a value of (27.0 vs 25–50). The result also showed faecal coliform in the tap water within the WHO acceptable limit (0 vs 0). The findings suggest that residents may face health concerns associated with elevated phosphate levels. Overall, the water quality in these crude oil remediated sites appears to meet several international standards. Conclusion: The water's pH, temperature, alkalinity, conductivity, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), and total hardness all met WHO recommendations. Faecal coliform levels were within WHO limits, but total coliform exceeded the limits in one sample. E. coli was absent from the tap water samples. There should be involvement of the local community members in decision-making processes and management of drinking water sources to ensure sustainability and promote a sense of ownership.