Physicochemical, Bacteriological and Heavy metal analysis in different water sources of Yebu Town, Jimma Zone, southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Water is a natural resource which forms an essential component of life. The safety of water is important for health. The safety of water is affected by various contaminants which included physico chemical, bacteriological and heavy metal. This study was designed to evaluate the physico-chemical, bacteriological and heavy metal analysis in different water sources of the study area. The study was conducted at Yebu town, Jimma Zone, southwest Ethiopia. Replicated water samples from nine different sampling points were collected using purposive sampling techniques. Analyses of physico-chemical such as dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand, nitrate and phosphate, turbidity and electrical conductivities, heavy metals (Cadmium, Lead, Cobalt, Chromium, Copper and Zinc) and bacteriological (Fecal coliform and Total coliform) were conducted following Ethiopian water quality guide lines and WHO (2008). The result of physicochemical parameters were: temperature (ºC) (19.00 ± 0.01 to 23.00 ± 0.49), turbidity (NTU) (4.73 ± 0.01 to 58.70 ± 0.20 ), pH (5.75 ± 0.04 to 7.60 ± 0.10), EC (µS/cm) (21.30 ± 0.01 to 243.75 ± 0.56) and TDS (0.44 ± 0.05 to 3.75 ± 0.04) mg/ L, DO (4.00 ± 0.01 to 7.16 ± 0.01) mg/ L, total hardness (10.0 ± 0.03 to 189.8 ± 0.20) mg/ L, alkalinity (4.95 ± 0.11 to 159.77 ± 0.65) mg/ L, chloride (1.98 ± 0.01 to 11.97 ± 0.12) mg/ L, nitrate (0.34 ± 0.11 to 4.39 ± 0.04) mg/ L and phosphate (0.42 ± 0.06 to 5.12 ± 0.01) mg/ L, COD (1.18 ± 0.01 to 2.03 ± 0.04) mg/ L, BOD (0.94 ± 0.04 to 1.62 ± 0.03) mg/ L, heavy metals: Cd (0.05 ± 0.01 to 0.06 ± 0.02) mg/L, Pb (0.22 ± 0.10 to 0.32 ± 0.08) mg/L, Co (0.22 ± 0.01 to 0.50 ± 0.03) mg/L, Cr (0.02 ± 0.01 to 0.16 ± 0.05) mg/L, Cu (0.04 ± 0.01 to 0.14 ± 0.02) mg/L and Zn (0.02 ± 0.01 to 0.36 ± 0.06) mg/L and bacteriological (number/100 mL) of Total coliform was 4/100 to 86/100 mL and Fecal coliform 0/100 to 30/100 mL.Turbidity of all water samples from spring and well water, and pH of S06, concentrations of Cd, Pb, Co and Cr of tap, spring and well water, and all total coliforms and fecal coliforms of water samples from T01, T02, T03, S04, W08 and W09 were above the recommended value of EWQG and WHO guide line. In general, consuming water with above of the guideline of the national and international standard could cause serious health