INVESTIGATING MOUNTAIN TOP UNIVERSITY BOREHOLE WATER FOR ITS QUALITY AND HEALTH IMPLICATIONS ON STUDENTS

Abstract

Many female students of Mountain Top University have complained about itching and rashes developing on their bodies after bathing with water from the university’s boreholes. The data for the work was generated in two ways: the laboratory analysis and a survey among the female students to pinpoint the effect of the water on their skins. The water samples were collected from the different borehole sources in the female hostels and subjected to Physico-chemical, microbiological, chemical and immunological tests. The water samples were analysed for the presence of heavy metals (Pb, Cr, Mn, Fe, Zn). The average temperature was 27°C. From the results analysed the turbidity was 0.15ms/cm, the pH was mainly acidic (4.4 – 5.5) and the conductivity 0.007µScm-1. The total dissolved solids were between 0.22 and 0.23mg/L. After undergoing Atomic Emission Spectrophotometry, the metallic content of the water showed that Lead (<0.012), Chromium (<0.005), Manganese (0.133, 0.295 and 0.250), Iron (0.062, 0.235. and 0.068) and Zinc (0.242, 0.027 and 0.221) were detected. All the heavy metals detected in the water samples, except Manganese, met the acceptable standard set by the World Health Organization. The enumeration of total viable counts indicates the microbial contamination of the borehole water samples. The immunological tests also point towards an increase in immune cells most especially basophil, eosinophil and neutrophil. The responses to the research instrument also indicate an adverse reaction by female students to the water. The boreholes within the university community contain heavy metals and microbial contaminants. It is therefore recommended that the university undertake proper treatment of the water coming from the boreholes in the female hostels.