Assessment of Physicochemical Parameters in Selected Water Bodies in Oyo and Lagos States

Sustainable provision of safe access to potable water has continued to be a major challenge across the world. Water samples were collected from water bodies at Awba Dam and National Horticulture Research Institute (NIHORT) in Ibadan, Oyo State and the Ogun River in Lagos State. The aim of this study was to gauge the conditions of these frequently used water bodies. The locations were selected based on surrounding population and activities. Sampling was done in the months of April and June, 2021. The physicochemical parameters analysed were pH, electrical conductivity (EC), salinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), chloride, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and dissolved oxygen (DO). Average salinity value ranged between 0.2675 ± 0.14 mg/L (UI) and 0.6735 ± 0.22 mg/L (Berger). These values are quite high and significant when compared to the threshold level of 0.0000001 mg/L. Of the three sampling points, the samples obtained from Awba Dam at the University of Ibadan seem to have the better quality in relative terms. This follows from the BOD and TDS values of 3.75 ± 0.28 mg/L and 259.7 ± 156.89 mg/L respectively. This study shows that the mismanagement of our waters through unrestrained and unrestricted dumping of contaminants into it has caused these water bodies to have poor quality and should not be used for the purpose of consumption unless properly treated. The presence of aquatic plants that take in some of these pollutants and release oxygen may also help improve quality.