BACTERIOLOGICAL AND PHYSICO-CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF STORED BOREHOLE WATER IN BENIN CITY, EDO STATE, NIGERIA

Authors: *Oshoma C.E, Adeghe O.M, Isichei-Ukah O.B

DOI Info: N/A

ABSTRACT

Water quality is of basic importance to human health, mostly in developing countries. Borehole water samples were collected from Ovia North-East, Oredo and Ikpoba Okha Local Government Areas of Edo State, Nigeria for physicochemical, bacteriological and Bisphenol A analysis for a period of 3 weeks. Bacterial load and physiochemical parameters were compared with the Nigeria Standard of Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ) for potable water. Results showed that pH, turbidity, total suspended solids, biological oxygen demand (BOD) and conductivity reduced as storage increased. Magnesium and calcium for Oredo were found to have the highest value of 0.26 and 1.43 mg/l respectively. Total heterotrophic bacterial count (THBC) for the borehole water samples was found to be highest 9.53 ± 1.12 x 10⁴ cfu/ml and the least 6.33 ± 0.57 x 10⁴ cfu/ml after week 2 from Ikpoba Okha and Ovia North-East respectively. The total coliform count (TCC) ranged between 1.46 ± 0.15 x 104 to 8. 90 ± 0.82 x 10⁴ cfu/ml. THBC and TCC were found to be higher than the NSDWQ Standard. The identified bacteral isolates from the borehole samples were Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus faecalis, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Serretia spp. Bisphenol A (BPA) detected after week 3 were methyl chloride, benzene and Dichlorobenzene and the highest values were 0.046 ± 0.003, 0.026 ± 0.003 and 0.053 ± 0.002 mg/l respectively. Storage of water for long periods should be discouraged as it’s not microbiologically and chemically healthy.

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