ASSESSMENT OF THE CORRELATION AMONG KEY PHYSICOCHEMICAL WATER QUALITY PARAMETERS IN AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT OF RIVER BENUE AROUND JIMETA YOLA
The quality of surface water in the River Benue around Jimeta-Yola is increasingly threatened by anthropogenic activities, including agricultural runoff, industrial discharge, and domestic waste disposal, which compromise its physicochemical integrity. This study aimed to assess the correlation among key water quality parameters of temperature, pH, turbidity, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, total solids, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, and nitrates are to better understand their interrelationships and identify indicators for effective water quality monitoring. Data spanning ten years (2011�2021) were obtained from the Adamawa State Ministry of Water Resources across four sampling locations. Pearson�s correlation analysis, conducted using NCSS 2021 software, revealed mean values of 21.83 �C (temperature), 283.24 NTU (turbidity), 7.42 (pH), 339.58 �S/cm (conductivity), 16.15 mg/L (dissolved oxygen), 747.77 mg/L (total solids), 797.39 mg/L (total dissolved solids), 1663.39 mg/L (total suspended solids), and 45.50 mg/L (nitrates). While pH, conductivity, and temperature were within WHO permissible limits, turbidity, total solids, total dissolved solids, and nitrates exceeded safe thresholds, indicating contamination. Strong correlations were observed between temperature and total solids (r = 1.000, p < .001), temperature and turbidity (r = ?0.851, p < .001), and conductivity and dissolved oxygen (r = 0.725, p < .001), suggesting their potential as indicator parameters. The study recommends regular water quality monitoring, improved waste management, and policy-based pollution control to safeguard the ecological and public health functions of the River Benue.
Authors : Modi, F.A., Abba, A.H. and Ahmed, A.S.
Category : Open Access Volume (Issue) : 11(2) Date Uploaded : 16th August 2025