Abstract:
Water is an important natural resource that provided various ecosystem service and including
drinking for human, plant, livestock, irrigation water and aquatic life, however water can be
easily polluted by different pollutant. The present study determines some of selected physico
chemical parameters and heavy metals in wastewater from Ambo University Hachalu Campus
and stream water Awaro kora kebele Ambo, west shoa zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. The samples were
collected from three sample site designated as site A, B, C. The concentration of heavy metals
was analyzed using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry and physico-chemical
Parameters were analyzed by using different methods. The results obtained from the present study
showed overall concentrations of parameters and heavy metals were in the range of TSS (159.3-
2500 mg/L), TDS (276.3 -426.7) mg/L, TA (210 -300 mg/L), TH (104.7-116 mg/L), Cl- (31-153.4
mg/L), TN (4.64- 48. Mg/L), NH3-N (3.4- 45.5 mg/L), SO4-2(12.8- 15.2 mg/L), TP(1.36-9.4 mg/L),
NO3--N (1.16- 5.6 mg/L), DO(0.6-5.6 mg/L ), NO2--N (0.03- 0.037 mg/L), Temp. (3-20.5)°C, PH
(6.2- 7.7), and EC (290- 480.7µS/cm) and Na (25.2-27.2 mg/L), K (7.7- 12.8 mg/L), Fe (0.05-1.5
mg/L), Zn( 0.07- 0.65 mg/L), Mn (0.07- 0.42 mg/L), Cr (0.01- 0.33 mg/L), Cu(0.07- 0.33 mg/L),
Ni (0.08- 0.2 mg/L), Cd (0.0098-0.029 mg/L), Pb (0.007- 0.09 mg/L), and Co (0.32 mg/L)
respectively .In this study all heavy metals and TSS, TN, TA, TP, NH3-N result in all site were
not suitable for aquatic life and all heavy metal at site C not suitable for drinking water due to
above permissible limit, but good for livestock watering due to below limit except TSS, TN .
Also, Cu, Cr, Mn in site A and Cr, Co, Mn, Cd in site C and TSS, TA, NH3-N in all site were not
favorable for irrigation water reuse. Also, Cr, Cd, Co, Pb, Cu, NH3-N, TP, in site C was not
favorable for water bathing. even though all heavy metal result in this study at site B fulfilled
standard for irrigation, livestock watering, and discharged water standard except Cu, Cd, TSS,
TA, NH3-N, were not favorable. The DO result recorded in site A were below the detection limit
not favorable for any one purpose. One way ANOVA at 95% confidence level show that most of
heavy metals and parameters significantly correlated among themselves. This indicate that there
was originated from different source. The result showed that influent from this wastewater
treatment plant are sources of pollution to the received water bodies and calls enhancement of
the wastewater treatment plant operation to ensure safe effluent discharge
