Hydrochemical Investigation of Groundwater Around Sharuwa, Bauchi State, Northcentral Nigeria
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Abstract
The study involves the hydrochemical characterisation of groundwater from hand-dug wells within Sharuwa and its environs in order to ascertain the water chemistry and its suitability for human consumption, domestic and agricultural purposes. Results show that the waters are slightly acidic to slightly alkaline (5.70 = pH = 7.70), hard to very hard (124.7 = TH= 256 mg/l), fresh (210 = TDS = 380 mg/l) and characterised by electrical conductivity(EC) values between 30 to 2000 µS/cm as well as low sodium absorption ratio (0.061 = SAR = 0.646). Major cations and 2+ 2+ + + anions range as follows: Ca (21.0 46.0 mg/l), Mg (16.0 35.0 mg/l), Na (1.8 21.5 mg/l), K (4.5 23.5 mg/l), Fe
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(1.11 3.88 mg/l), HCO (27.2 113.2 mg/l), SO (7.2 28.2 mg/l), Cl (0.06 2.2 mg/l. Values obtained for some trace 3 4 metals are as follows: Pb (0.65 4.18 mg/l) and Cu (1.16 3.33 mg/l). All the analysed parameters with exception of Fe, Pb, Cu were observed to be within the WHO (2006) standards for drinking water. Piper trilinear and Stiff diagrams show that sixty percent (60%) of the waters fall within the normal earth alkaline water type, while the remaining forty percent (40%) belongs to the alkaline earth water with higher alkaline proportion type. These waters have acquired their chemistry from the bedrock, cation exchange reaction and precipitation. They are considered to be suitable for drinking (when treated for these trace elements by the addition of coagulants and the use of reverse osmosis), domestic and agricultural purposes.