Physicochemical Parameters of Uren River, Ikenne, Ogun State, Nigeria: A Preliminary Status Report with Multivariate Statistic

Major water bodies in Nigeria have consistently suffered from a high level of pollution attributed to human activities which are related to population increase, agricultural activities and industrialization. This study aimed to determine some physicochemical parameters in selected sections of the Uren River in Ikenne, Ogun State, Nigeria. Water samples were collected from five (5) stations. pH and Temperature were tested on site then further analysis were carried out by standard procedures. Multivariate statistics such as Pearson correlation (PC), and principal component analysis (PCA) were employed to determine the association between parameters. The results showed the highest mean pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, salinity, and total dissolved solids in station E (5.81, 26.83oC, 121.33 µS/cm, 60.33, 60.33 ppm) respectively. Total alkalinity and total acidity in station A and station C (4.27 and 4.20 mg/L) respectively. The temperature, TDS, EC, salinity and total alkalinity across the stations were within the WHO standards (25-29oC, <600 ppm, 1000 µS/cm, 100 ppm and 200 mg/L) while the pH across the station A-E (5.67, 5.75, 5.75, 5.77, 5.81) are not in compliance with the WHO standard (6.5-8.5). Multivariate analysis such as Pearson correlation and PCA revealed a strong association between EC, TDS and salinity in the river. The strong association between the parameters except for pH is an indication of a similar origin which is primarily from a natural source. In conclusion, the study revealed an unacceptable low pH level across the stations which could be linked to anthropogenic activities influencing the status of the river.