Effect of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Leachate on Groundwater Quality in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Aims: This study was carried out to assess the effect of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) leachate on groundwater quality in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Cross-sectional study was conducted around two dumpsites in Port Harcourt, Nigeria on leachates and borehole water.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study of selected refuse dumpsite was conducted in Port Harcourt, Nigeria to assess the effect of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) leachate on groundwater quality in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. The physicochemical parameters such as pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Electrical Conductivity (EC), Nitrite ion, Phosphate ion, Sulphate ion, Chloride ion and heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Zn, Fe, and Cu) were determined by standard protocol of APHA (2012). The samples were analysed by three quality tools/indices such as the Water Quality Index (WQI), Contamination Factor (CF) and Contamination Degree (CD).

Results and Discussion: The result shows that some parameters in the borehole water did not meet the standards of World Health Organization (WHO) and Nigerian Standards for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ), and most leachates and borehole water qualities near the un-engineered dumpsites are of poor quality. There was a decreasing trend in concentrations of hazardous contaminants from the leachate to nearby borehole water and eventually the distant borehole water. This shows that the leachates exert great effect on the concentrations of contaminants in the surrounding borehole waters and distant ones.

Conclusion: It is concluded that there is an increase in risk to the borehole and public health that is reported near the unengineered dumpsites; which can spread to other region on bioaccumulation. The result indicated that the dumpsite leachate is producing many potent contaminants to the environment and to the people nearby.