CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Water is a primary necessity of life, and in its absence man will survive for a few hour or days. Water is probably the body’s most essential requirement, we can survive without air for only few minutes and without water perhaps few days. It contributes in a variety of ways to the enjoyment, safety and progress of human existence. The body is composed of about 60 percent water which is essential for digestive process, blood circulation, and excretion. (Evans, 1999)
Godman (2000) opined that, water is made up of two volume of hydrogen and one volume of oxygen, the earth is a water planet and it’s the abundant of this unique liquid that has made life possible on earth. Water has numerous physical, chemical and biological uses, and it could be used most efficiently when is in its purest form. Three quarter of the planet earth is sea, but about one third of the populations have no access to wholesome water.
Water pollution due to discharge of untreated industrial effluents into water bodies is a major problem in the global context. Mathuthu, Mwanga, and Simoro (2007). The problem of water pollution is being experienced by both developing and developed countries. Human activities give rise to water pollution by introducing various categories of substances or waste into a water body. The more common types of polluting substances include pathogenic organisms, oxygen demanding organic substances, plant nutrients that stimulate all the blooms, inorganic and organic toxic substances (Cornish & Mensah, 2009).
Agriculture, cities, and industry in this country are enormous consumers of water. For example producing a gallon of gasoline requires five gallons of water, brewing a barrel of beer consumes a thousand gallons, a ton of newspaper takes about 50,000 gallons, a ton of steel requires 25,000 gallons, a family of four uses about 600 gallons of water daily. Edlin, Golany, and Brown( 2008)
Water is continuously recycled in the environment by evaporation and rain. However more and more water becomes polluted from pesticides, chemicals, oil spills, and sewage therefore less and less water is suitable for human consumption and agricultural use. Edlin, Golany, and Brown 2008. The changes in the nutrient concentrations of water may lead to harmful effects to humans and aquatic life. Most heavy metals in streams of water are commonly associated with industrial discharges (Mdamo, 2001) and almost heavy metals common in industrial effluents have cumulative toxins to aquatic life. The physical-chemical parameters of an aquatic body not only reflect the type and diversity of aquatic animals but also the water quality and pollution (Birley & Lock, 1999).
The effect of water on health and sickness in this decade has become more emphasized because of the awareness of the role of water as a carrier of organisms and non-living materials which may be harmful to man. (Federal Environmental Protection Agency, 2002) The purity of water is threatened by human activities, in order to avert this trend, it would be better to embark on proper management of this vital resource through the incorporation of environment concerns to minimize pollution, land degradation and associated health hazards through water supply.
Water quality monitoring involves the measurements and detection of substances in the water to evaluate and ascertain the threat posed by such substance to the health of the people in particular and the environment in general. Every sphere of human life is affected by environment pollution. The general quality of our surrounding is influenced by environmental pollution and this, pose a risk to our health and general well-being.