A RESEARCH PROJECT

ON THE
PHYSICO-CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF IKO RIVER IN EASTERN OBOLO LOCAL
GOVERNMENT AREA, AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA.
BY
ETUKUDO, UDUAK SUNDAY
AK18/BGS/MAB/018

SUPERVISED BY:
DR. (MRS) MARY P. EKANIM

SUBMITTED TO:
DEPARTMENT OF MARINE BIOLOGY
FACULTY OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, AKWA IBOM STATE
UNIVERSITY.

APRIL, 2023
 INTRODUCTION
Iko River is an area of intense petroleum extraction activities by Shell Petroleum Development Company
Nigeria Limited since 1973. The area has been exposed to additional risk of pollution from petroleum and
related sources due to its location within the petroleum belt of the Niger Delta. The river is of high economic
and ecological importance, as it supports the livelihood of a large number of artisanal fishermen (Agbozu and
Ekweozor, 2001). The river runs through both mangrove and fresh water swamps with adjoining creeks and
tributaries, with communities settling all along the river. However, there has been a reported case of diurnal
and seasonal changes in water temperature, salinity, biochemical oxygen demand, total dissolved solid, and
conductivity of the water system in Iko River (Baldwin & Marshall, 2000). The degradation of the environment
is enormous, and calls for concern, as the ecological equilibrium is very delicate. This study seeks to
monitor the spatial and seasonal distribution of petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants and interactive effects on
water quality parameters in the water and sediments of Iko River to deduce the extent to which the
equilibrium of the river ecosystem has been disturbed. It is important to acquire accurate data on the
concentration and distribution of understanding the geochemical and biogeochemical cycles of the elements.
The quality of aquatic bionetworks is vital for the productivity, survival, and support of aquatic organisms
found in them. It is an index of health and well-being of the ecosystem and has a direct impact on human
health.
 LITERATURE REVIEW
The physicochemical parameters of a water body are important for determining its productivity and other
characteristics (Apha, 2005). The quality of water is determined based on the National Standard for Drinking Water
Quality (NSDWQ) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. The pollution index of Iko River, Nigeria,
was found to be 0.97 during the wet season and 1.34 during the dry season. The variation of the dissolved oxygen
was not significant in both seasons, indicating a highly oxidized environment. The principles of physicochemical
analysis were established in the late 19th century by Gibbs et al. and received further development by N. S. Kurnakov
and his school. Physicochemical parameters are one of the most important features capable of influencing the marine
environment, with clear seasonal patterns typical to the tropical marine environment. Different physicochemical
parameters are tested for drinking, domestic, agricultural, or industrial purposes (Alexandre, et al, 2016). Some
physical and chemical tests are performed for water quality, such as temperature, color, odour, pH, turbidity, TDS,
BOD, COD, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, hardness, and other characters. Physicochemical parameters in both surface
waters and sediments are important to understand riverine dynamics, and fluctuations in natural processes and
geomorphology affect these parameters. Suspended sediments are the most common physical contaminants of water,
and chemicals are the major sources of water contamination. Turbidity, which is the cloudiness of water, can increase
the cost of water treatment for various uses and can provide hiding places for harmful microorganisms, shielding
them from disinfectants.
 METHODS
Study area
Iko River is located in Eastern Obolo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, with a tidal
range of 0.8m to 2.0m and a tropical climate. It has an extensive mangrove
swamp and is known for fishing and farming. The area is also home to oil
palm and coconut palm trees.

Sample Collection
The water samples will be collected from Iko River in Eastern Obolo, at three
different stations. The sampling stations are: Station 1: Upstream (IKO),
Station 2: Midstream (BELLA CREEK), Station 3: Downstream (UTI
IKO). Using three plastic bottles for the sample collection.
Sample Analysis
The samples will be analyzed with in-situ to record the Total Suspended Solid (TSS), Biochemical Oxygen Demand
(BOD), Turbidity, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), pH, Total Alkalinity, Silicate, Nitrate, Phosphate, Salinity and water
temperature using Thermometer, Refractometer and Multimeter.

Data Analysis
Data analyses will be done using descriptive statistics. Two-tailed correlation coefficient (r) was used to determine the
relationships existing between the Physico-Chemical Parameters of the water and plankton and benthic macro-
invertebrates’ abundance. Spatial variations in Physico-Chemical Parameters, plankton and benthic macro-
invertebrates’ abundance were determined using the one way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) in Microsoft Excel 2016
software
 RESULT

Figure 1: Column chart showing the PH level of salt water sample collected at Figure 3: Column chart showing the Salinity level of salt water sample
three different locations in Eastern Obolo collected at three different locations in Eastern Obolo

Figure 2: Column chart showing the Turbidity level of salt water sample Figure 4: column chart showing the concentration of heavy metals in
collected at three different locations in Eastern Obolo. upstream, midstream, downstream in the water sample collected in
Easter Obolo.
 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

The study found differences in heavy metal concentrations in different locations

of Iko River and suggested that human activities, land use, and natural processes
may influence this. Lead levels in downstream water samples exceeded the
WHO limit for safe drinking water, while iron, phosphate, and nitrate levels
were also above recommended limits. The ANOVA showed statistically
significant differences in mean values of analyzed parameters between
upstream, midstream, and downstream locations, with environmental conditions
and human activities likely contributing to these differences. The results
highlight the need for effective strategies to protect and improve water quality in
the area.
 CONCLUSION
The results obtained in table 4.6 supports the conclusion that the physico-chemical parameters analyzed in
the Iko River vary significantly between the different sampling locations, likely due to differences in
environmental conditions and human activities. The identification of such differences in water quality is
an important step towards developing effective strategies to protect and improve the quality of water
resources in the area.

RECOMMENDATION
Water is generally used for drinking, fishing, general cleaning, washing, cooking etc. I recommend that
unregulated activities of man which include oil spills, discharge of untreated effluents and to a large extent
unregulated solid wastes disposal into water bodies that tends to increase in nutrient (silicate, phosphate
and nitrate) as well as heavy metals should be brought to minimal. Further investigation should be
conducted on different stations in Iko river to yield more knowledge on determining the physico-chemical
parameters of Iko river in Eastern Obolo.
 REFERENCES

Agbozu, I. and Ekweozor, I. (2001). Heavy metals in a nontidal freshwater swamp in the Niger Delta areas of
Nigeria. African J. Sci. 2 pp.175-182.

Baldwin D. & Marshall W. J. (2000), "Heavy metal poisoning and its laboratory investigation",
Annals of Clinical Biochemistry, vol. 36, no. 3, pp. 267-300.
Alexandre, D. Daltro, M. Manoel, J. Moreira, C. Eduardo, G. and Vieira de Melo. (2016). Physicochemical
parameters in estuarine zones of the Todos os Santos Bay in Bahia, Brazil Geochimica Brasiliensis.

APHA. (2005). Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. 21st ed. Washington, DC:
American Public Health Association;