Determination Of Concentration Levels Of Selected Heavy Metals And Physico-Chemical Parameters Of Ground Drinking Water In Hidabuabote District, North Shoa Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

Water is one of the most important compounds of the ecosystem, and all living organisms on the Earth need water for their survival and growth. However, this precious ecosystem is under pollution pressure from various human activities caused by contaminant including trace heavy metals. The aim of this study was to determining the selected heavy metals levels and physic - chemical parameters of groundwater drinking sources in the rural villages of Hidabu Abote district, North Showa, Oromia, Ethiopia. Physicochemical parameters of the ground drinking water sources were analyzed using standard classical methods and their spatial variations were presented and discussed. For heavy metals analysis the water samples were digested using wet acid digestion technique and the quantification of the metals were made with flame atomic absorption spectroscopic technique. The mean results of the Physico-chemical analysis were in the range 12.3 -31.17 °C, 40 - 126.67mg/L, 0.04 - 3.02NTU,6.12 - 6.59, 52.67 – 154μs/cm, 29.33 - 70.67mg/L, 44 - 90.67 mg/L, 3.00 - 7.17mg/L, 0.25 - 0.77mg/L, 0.05 - 0.11mg/L, 4.41 - 29.09mg/L, 0.015- 0.018 mg/L for temperature, TDS, turbidity, pH, EC, total hardness, total alkalinity, chloride, nitrate, phosphate, sulphate and nitrite, respectively. Out of the selected nine heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Zn, Co, Fe, Mn, Cr, Cd and Pb) only Fe, Cd, Cu, Zn, Ni and Mn were detected in all ground water samples. The measured mean concentration (mg/L) values of the metals in water were in the range of 0.084 - 0.147, 0.05- 0.094, 0.028 - 0.05, 0.003- 0.006, 0.009 - 0.027, and 0.22 - 0.056 for Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, Mn and Ni, respectively. These results were compared with water quality standards from the World Health Organization (WHO) and found that the values of the measured Physico-chemical parameters and heavy metals were within the permissible ranges specified by the WHO