Abstract:
Hand pump water is an important source of water for livestock needs, irrigation, drinking,
washing, agriculture, etc. The aim of this study was to determine some physico-chemical
water quality parameters and level of selected heavy metals in hand pump drinking water
sources samples collected from Kola Jamo Gedera, Tulu Milki Town and Qare Goha Town,
which are all located in Ware Jarso District, North Shoa Zone, Oromia Regional State,
Ethiopia. Standard analytical procedures were followed for the evaluation of
physicochemical parameters whereas; FAAS was employed for the determination of heavy
metals following wet acid digestion. The recovery study for the heavy metals in all the hand
pump drinking water is in the range of 80 ‒ 114.60 %, which is within acceptable range for
the routine analysis, whereas the precision in terms of RSD was < 5.456 %, indicating good
accuracy and precision of the method for heavy metal analysis. The results of the
physicochemical water quality parameters of the hand pump water samples were given as
follows:19.10 ± 0.00 to 19.20 ± 0.00 °C, 276.33 ± 0.578 to 531.00 ± 1 μS/cm, 7.17 ± 0.00 to
7.50 ± 0.032, 183 ± 1 to 363.67 ± 0.577 mg /l, 2.58 ± 0.323 to 5.92 ± 0.166 NTU, 24.80 ±
0.800 to 49.83 ± 1.234 mg/l, 9.36 ± 0.759 to 18.71 ± 1.514 mg/l, 102 ± 2 to 203.00 ± 64.66
mg/l, 1.29 ± 0.37 to 1.98 ± 0.02 mg/l, 0.47 ± 0.081 to 0.6 ± 0.081mg/l and 3.07 ± 0.08 to 3.7
± 0.211 mg/l for Temperature, EC, pH, TDS, Turbidity, Ca, Mg, Hardness, DO, NH3 and
PO4
3- respectively. On the other hand, the mean results of heavy metals in all the hand
pump drinking water sample of the current study (mg/l) were ranged as: 7.179 0 ‒ 9.641,
0.4316 ‒ 0.62, 0.946 ‒ 2.4337, 1 ‒ 2.6513, 11.9815 ‒ 48.85 and 0.12 ‒ 3.059 for Cr, Cu, Zn,
Mn, Fe and Ni, respectively. The concentrations of Pb and Cd analysed in all the hand
pump water samples were BDL. Generally, the concentration of trace heavy metals found in
all hand pump drinking water sources samples were below the set by WHO recommended
limit except Ni, Cr and Fe and also DO and PO4
3-. Therefore, the government should adopt
some treatment technologies such as sedimentation and aeration to minimize the
concentration of Ni, Cr and Fe and also DO and PO4
3- for safe drinking water.
