Geo-Electric Response of Earth Materials Between Some Soak Away Pits and Hand Dug Wells at

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Geo-Electric Response of Earth Materials Between Some Soak Away Pits and Hand Dug Wells at

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Abstract

Legislative Quarters, Jos, Plateau state is predominantly occupied by families and students and has most of its water sources (hand dug wells) close to soak away pits. This contravenes the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended safe distance of 30m and above for construction of soak away pits in areas with ground water sources like wells and boreholes. Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) field procedure of Electrical Resistivity method was deployed to investigate the geoelectric response of earth materials between some soak away pits and hand dug wells in legislative quarters Jos, Plateau state. Also, physiochemical and microbial analysis were also carried out on the well water sample collected from the study area. VES was carried out using the half-Schlumberger configuration and an Ohmega resistivity meter. The soundings were carried out along a traverse with two soak away pits and two wells located at various points along the traverse. Two soundings were taken between the first soak away pit and first well which were about 7m apart. Three soundings were taken between the first well and second well which were about 19m apart while the last two soundings were taken between the second well and the last soak away pit which were 14.4m apart. IX1D software was used for the interpretation of seven VES points so as to determine the subsurface layer parameters (resistivity, depth and thickness). For the physiochemical analysis, pH and electrical conductivity of the water sample was determined using pH and conductivity meters respectively. Microbial analysis of water sample was carried out using the method of serial dilution using petri dishes, test tubes, pipettes, nutrient agar (NA), saline, inoculating needle and filter paper. The quantitative interpretation of the VES points revealed some layers of very low resistivity values which depict contamination suspected to be effluents from the soak away pits. These zones are found in VES 2, VES 6, and VES 7 with resistivity values of 6.41? m, 16.21? m and 14.29? m to the depths of 2.68m,1.46m and 2.13m respectively. A pH value of 5.09 which is below the WHO specification for drinking water was obtained. The microbial analysis revealed that the water collected from the well about 7m from the soak away 4 contained coliform at a count of 9.0 X 10 ml and also microorganisms like Streptococcus, faecalis, proteus spp and salmonella typhi were observed to be present in the water showing that the water is contaminated and hence the need to be treated for human consumption.


Publication Info:

Author: Maduka, C.R. and Akanbi, E.S.

Volume: 59

Issue: March

Published By: Journal of Mining and Geology Vol. 59(1) 2023. pp. 49 - 57, 2023-03-01

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