*Analysis of Ground Water from Selected Sources in Jalingo Metropolis, Nigeria DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.99082*

The alkalinity levels recorded in this study range from 39 mg/l – 204 mg/l with a mean range of 109 65.19–167.7 27.61.during dry season and 31 mg/l–183 mg/l, with a mean range of 96 57.89–131.33 14.50 during the wet season. These are higher than the range of 4.4 0.38 mg/c – 17.8 0.25 mg reported by Dimowo [22] in an assessment of some physicochemical Parameters of River Ogun (Abeokuta, Ogun State, South-Western Nigeria). All sites were above the WHO permissible levels of 1.0 – 100 mg.c except for sites few sites. The high alkalinity levels could be due to a high concentration of basic cations such as calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), Sodium (Na) and Potassium (K).

Salinity: The salinity of water samples collected from the sites in the study area ranged from (28.1 mg/l to 476 mg/l) as shown in **Table 4** with a mean value of 36.33 4.51 mg/l – 297.33 234.35 mg/l during the rainy season and the value range of (33.4 mg/l – 508 mg/l) as shown in **Table 2** with a mean value of 50.9 14.79–350.7 262.19 as shown in **Table 3** during the dry season. The salinity values for all sample sites are higher than the value range of 1.36 0.13 mg/l to 5.27 0.21 mg/l, with a mean value of 2.55 0.109 mg/l reported by Bolarinwa, Fasakin and Fagbenro [23] in the analysis of the physicochemical parameters of coastal waters of Ondo State, Nigeria. The salinity levels obtained in this study revealed that both in the dry and rainy season, the results are within the WHO permissible limit of ≤600 mg/l.

The Fe2+ concentrations recorded for all sites range between 0.01 mg/l – 0.08 mg/l The values obtained in the study are lower than the range of 0.15 mg/l and 3.26 mg/L reported by Popoola, Yusuf and Aderibigbe [24] in the assessment of natural groundwater physicochemical properties in major industrial and residential locations of Lagos metropolis. The values of Fe recorded both in dry and rainy seasons are within the WHO permissible limit of 0.3 mg/l. Therefore, the Fe concentrations recorded in the sampled water are just traces and not harmful to life.

The concentration of manganese from the study range from (0.0–0.17)mg/l. The highest value of 0.17 mg/l and 0.19 mg/l recorded for site TA3 in the dry season and rainy season, respectively, are higher than the value of (0.010–0.057)mg/l reported by Ayeki, Asikhia and Ojeh [26] in the study of seasonal and spatial Variation in Physico-chemical and biological quality of water in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. All the manganese values obtained from the study are within the WHO [27] permissible standard of (0.1 to 0.5)mg/l.

The Nitrate (NO3 ) levels obtained in this study ranged from 0.01–38.5 mg/l during the wet and dry season. All the Nitrate values obtained during the dry and rainy seasons are lower than the WHO [27] recommended guidelines value of 50 mg/l, which implies that the nitrate concentrations obtained in the study are within the acceptable limit and might not cause any health risk.

The nitrite (NO2 ) levels obtained in this study range from 0.01 mg/l – 0.09 mg/ l with a mean value range of 0.01–0.063 during the dry season and the levels obtained during the rainy season ranged from 0.01 mg/l to 0.13 mg/l with a mean value range of 0.01 mg/l to 0.09 mg/l are all within the WHO [27] permissible nitrite limit of 50 mg/l. The highest value of 0.09 mg/l was observed at site TB2 and MD3. This is lower than the value of 0.27 0.005 mg/l reported by Bolarinwa, Fasakin and Fagbenro [23] in the analysis of the physicochemical parameters of coastal waters of Ondo State, Nigeria. This implies that the nitrate concentrations obtained in the study are only traces and might not cause any health risk to human life.

The chloride levels recorded in this study range from 10 mg/l – 320 mg/L with a mean value range of 24.17 mg/l to 2114.33 mg/l during the dry season and the value range from 13 mg/l to 328 mg/l with a mean value range of 27.17 mg/l to 221.67 mg/l during the rainy season. The high values were recorded in three sites; TB3 (261 mg/l), MD3 (312 mg/l) and TB2 (320 mg/l) during the dry season and TB3(268 mg/l), MD3 (319 mg/l) and TB2(328 mg/l) during the rainy season are higher than the WHO permissible limit of chloride (250 mg/l) but the rest of the sampled sites are within the permissible limit of the WHO. The high values of chloride found in the study area could be due to the high concentration of chloride in the rocks, soils and spraying of agrochemicals like DDT and atrazine.

The sulphate (SO4) concentrations of the sampled water range from 14 mg/l – 93 mg/l with the mean range of 33 mg/l to 79.33 mg/l during the dry season and the levels during the rainy season ranged from 9 mg/l to 81 mg/l with a mean value range of 26.33 mg/l to 61.67 mg/l. The concentrations recorded in this study are below the range of 3.10 mg/l to 66.10 mg/L reported by Moses and Ishaku [21] in the evaluation of physicochemical properties of well water qualities in selected villages in the Zing Local Government Area of Taraba State, Nigeria. In contrast, the range found in the present study is higher than the range of 13–63 mg/L reported by Popoola, Yusuf and Aderibigbe [24] in the assessment of natural groundwater physicochemical properties in major industrial and residential locations of the Lagos metropolis. The permissible level of WHO for sulphate is 100 mg/l and the concentrations recorded in this study both in dry and rainy seasons are within the permissible limit of the WHO standard for good quality water.

Dissolved Oxygen (DO) levels from the study revealed a range of 1.1 mg/l – 6.87 mg/l and 2.6–8.45, and a mean range of 1.28 0.2–5.3 1.4 and 3.94 0.61–7.15 1.12 for dry and rainy seasons, respectively. This is lower than the values of 6.51 1.47 mg/l – 8.43 0.21 mg/l reported by Bolarinwa, Fasakin and Fagbenro [23] in the analysis of the physicochemical parameters of coastal waters of Ondo State, Nigeria. The WHO permissible standard for DO is >6 mg/l. Most of the dissolved oxygen concentrations found in water from the sampled sites do not meet the WHO standard for quality drinking water. This could be as a result of the high concentrations of dissolved salts, suspended particles and hardness of the water that preclude the dissolution of oxygen in most of the water from the sampled sites.
