National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS)
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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
Lake Barombi Mbo is the main source of water for half a million people. Recurrent cases of Typhoid fever among users necessitated quality assessment of the source waters. We aimed to assess the water chemistry, coliform load and trophic status of this natural resource. Water samples were collected at sites within the lake and point sources. Physicochemical parameters were analysed using standard methods and means tested for significance using RTANOVA and Spearman rank correlation. Coliform load was determined and Salmonella-Shigella media used for the presence of Salmonella typhi. Most physicochemical parameters were within the WHO (2008) standards for fresh- recreational water except for N-NH4- and bicarbonate ions. Annually, the lake receives 9610, 286.3, 189.2 and 26487 tons of HCO3-, N-NH4+, NO3- and SO42-respectively with low release through the outlet. The lake was eutrophic, promoting macroalgae blooms. There is faecal contamination of water from the lake and all inlets as indicated by coliform counts >1100 CFU, and Salmonella typhi was present in significant numbers. This attests to anthropogenic influences on an ecosystem that is expected to be pristine. The results are significant for management of this and other watersheds in urban and peri urban areas susceptible to anthropogenic influences.
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