Characteristics of Phsysicochemical Parameters, Heavy Metals and Influence of Distance to Land Fill on Possible Ground Water Contamination in Calabar Municipality

Abstract

This study investigates the vulnerability of groundwater contamination from dumpsites in Calabar Municipality, Cross River State, Nigeria. Groundwater contamination, particularly due to leachate. The research aimed to determine the physicochemical properties of leachate, assess groundwater quality against national and international standards, explore the effect of proximity to dumpsites on contamination levels, and, laboratory analysis, and statistical techniques were employed. Nine Groundwater sample were gotten from three sample location and five leachate samples were collected from Lemna Dumpsite, which is the only Government Approved Dumpsite in Calabar and key physicochemical parameters—including Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), heavy metals, and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) were measured. This indicates that leachate from the dumpsites is a primary source of contamination in the groundwater. Factor analysis identified a single dominant factor responsible for over 99% of the variation in contamination, suggesting that leachate percolation is the main driver of contamination. The Water Quality Index (WQI) calculated for the groundwater samples from Ikot Efanga, Ikot Ene Obong, and Ikot Ansa indicated that all the sampled sites fell within the poor to very poor water quality categories, underlining the health risks associated with groundwater consumption. The study concludes that improved waste management practices are essential to mitigate groundwater contamination in Calabar Municipality. Recommendation were made: on the implementation of effective waste management practices.