Skip to main content

SEASONAL INFLUENCES OF THE ORGANIC POLLUTION MONITORING OF THE NEW CALABAR RIVER, NIGERIA

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment volume 45, pages 43–56 (1997)Cite this article

Abstract

Monitoring of the New Calabar River water was conductedmonthly for a period of one year to ascertain seasonalinfluences and industrial effluent discharges on the organicpollution status of the river. Dissolved oxygen (DO) levelsranged between 3.4 and 9.1 mg/l and 4.4–9.0 mg/l for therainy and dry seasons respectively. Total dissolved solids(TDS) levels ranged between 6.5 and 4013.9 mg/l for the rainyseason and 4.32–619.5 mg/l for the dry season. The ranges forthe organic pollutant parameters were: biochemical oxygendemand, 0.25–4.20 mg/l and 0.15–4.95 mg/l; COD, 10–1000mg/l and 15–100 mg/l; oil and grease, 0.00001–5000 μg/l and0.00001–800 μg/l; anionic surfactants, 2.0–30 μgMBAS/l and 0.1–2.0 μg MBAS/l for the rainy and dryseasons respectively. The ranges for the same parameters forthe industrial effluent were: DO, 2.1–3.9 mg/l and 6.5–10.8mg/l; BCD, 0.35–1.4 mg/l and 2.3–2.7 mg/l; COD, 508 mg/l and20–576 mg/l; oil and grase, 0.07–50 μg/l and0.048–25.0 μg/l; and anionic surfactants, 4.0–7.3μg MBAS/l and 0,2–17.0 μg MBAS/l for the rainyand dry seasons respectively. These results indicate thatseasonal changes as well as industrial effluent dischargesinfluenced the organic load of the river.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  • Alabaster, J. S. and Lloyd, R.: 1980, Water Quality Criteria for Freshwater Fish, Butterworths, London, p. 297.

    Google Scholar 

  • Azov, Y., Shelef, G. and Narkis, N.: 1982, ‘Effect of Hard Detergents on Algae in a High-rate Oxidation Pond’, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 43(2), 491–492.

    Google Scholar 

  • Camp, T. R. and Messerve, R. L.: 1974, Water and its Impurities, Dowden, Hutchinson and Ross, Inc. Strondsburg, Pennsylvania, 356 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gledhill, W. E. and Saeger, W. V.: 1978, ‘Microbial Degradation in Environmental Hazard Evaluation Process’, in: Proceedings of the Workshop on Microbial Degradation of Pollutants in Marine Environments, Pensacola Beach, Florida, pp. 434–442.

  • Hancock, I. R.: 1984. ‘Macromolecular Surfactants’, in: Tadros, Th. F. (ed). Surfactants, Academic Press, London, pp. 287–355.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heckman, C. W.: 1981, ‘Pesticide Effects on Aquatic Habitats’, Environ. Sci. Technol. 16(1), 48A–57A.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kreuk, F. J. and Hansveit, A. O.: 1968, ‘Assessment of Biodegradation’. in: Charter K. W. A. and H. J. Sommerville (eds), The Oil Industry and Microbial Ecosystems, Heyden and Son Ltd., London, pp. 155–170.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, G. F., Rast, W. and Jones, R. A.: 1978, ‘Eutrophication of Water Bodies: Insights For an Age-old Problem’, Environ Sci. Technol. 12, 910–908.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mento d l'exploitant de leau et de l'assainissesment: 1986, Lyonnaise Deseaux, pp. 273–283.

  • Moore, W. J. and Moore, E. A.: 1976, Environmental Chemistry, Academic Press, Inc., London, pp. 360–368.

    Google Scholar 

  • Odokuma, L. O. and Okpokwasili, G. C.: 1992, ‘Role of Composition in Biodegradability of Oil Spill Dispersants’, Waste Manage. 12, 39–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Odu, C. T. I., Esuruoso, O. F., Nwoboshi, L. C. and Ogun, J. A.: 1988, Environmental Study of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company Operational Areas: Soils and Freshwater Vegetation, Nigerian Agip Oil Company, Port Harcourt.

    Google Scholar 

  • Okpokwasili, G. C. and Nwabuzor, C. N.: 1988, ‘Primary Biodegradation of Anionic Surfactants in Laundry Detergents’, Chemosphere 17, 2175–2182.

    Google Scholar 

  • Okpokwasili, G. C. and Olisa, A. C.: 1991, ‘Riverwater Biodegradation of Surfactants in Liquid Detergents and Shampoos’, Water Res. 25(11), 1425–1429.

    Google Scholar 

  • ORSANCO Detergent Subcommittee: 1963, ‘Components of Household Synthetic Detergents in Water and Sewage’, J. Amer. Water Works Assoc. 5, 369–371.

    Google Scholar 

  • Plimmer, R. J.: 1978, ‘Degradation Methodology — Chemical and Physical Effects’, in: Proceedings of the Workshop on Microbial Degradation of Pollutants in Marine Environments, Pensacola Beach, Florida, pp. 423–431.

  • Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. 1985, American Public Health Association, Washington, D.C.

  • Steel, E. W. and McGhee, I. J.: 1979, Water Supply and Sewerage, MacGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, pp. 1–643.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swisher, R. D.: 1987, Surfactant Biodegradation, 2nd Edn., Marcel Dekker, New York.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, University of Port Harcourt, P.M.B. 5323, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

    LUCKY O. ODOKUMA & GIDEON C. OKPOKWASILI

Authors
  1. LUCKY O. ODOKUMA
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. GIDEON C. OKPOKWASILI
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

ODOKUMA, L.O., OKPOKWASILI, G.C. SEASONAL INFLUENCES OF THE ORGANIC POLLUTION MONITORING OF THE NEW CALABAR RIVER, NIGERIA. Environ Monit Assess 45, 43–56 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005709709031

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005709709031

Keywords

  • Oxygen
  • Surfactant
  • Dissolve Oxygen
  • Environmental Management
  • River Water