O.OSARENOTOR

This study assessed the levels of heavy metal contamination in artesian well water in Ikpoba Slope, Benin City, Nigeria. A community dependent on shallow artesian well water for essential domestic needs. Water samples from eight artesian wells (well sample 1–8) were analyzed for heavy metals using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS). Lead concentrations ranged from 0.008 ± 0.0001mg/L in well 7 to 0.015 ± 0.002mg/L in well 8, with well 2 (0.013 ± 0.001 mg/L) , 5 (0.013 ± 0.0004 mg/L) , and 8 (0.015 ± 0.002 mg/L) exceeding WHO (2011) and NSDWQ (2007) recommended permissible limit of 0.01 mg/L. while chromium ranged from 0.017 ± 0.001 mg/L in well 8 to 0.037 ± 0.002 mg/L in well 4, iron from 0.017 ± 0.0003mg/L in well 1 to 0.264 ± 0.002 mg/L in well 3, copper from 0.019 ± 0.001 mg/L in well 3 to 0.038 ± 0.001mg/L in well 7 , and manganese from 0.012 ± 0.001mg/L in well 8 to 0.018 ± 0.001mg/L in well 7. They were all within WHO (2011) and NSDWQ (2007) recommended permissible limits. Cadmium was below the detection limit across all well samples. These findings offer critical data for public health interventions and sustainable water management in Ikpoba slope.

This study assessed how the siting of on-site sanitation facilities influences the chemical andmicrobial quality of artesian well water in Ikpoba slope area, Benin City. Eight wells (samplelocations 1–8) were examined, with separation distances ranging from 7.0 meters (locations1and 2) to 15.7 meters (location 4) from nearby sanitation facilities. These distances werecompared with the 15 meters minimum standard recommended by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA). In-situ parameters were takenusing a multi-parameter meter. The results showed that all water samples were acidic, withpHvalues ranging from 4.77 ± 0.03 (location 6) to 6.45± 0.02 (location 3) andotherphysicochemical parameters such as electrical conductivity (13.67±0.58 µS/cmat location3to697.00 ± 2.65 µS/cm at location 5 ), total dissolved solids (6.67±0.58 mg/L at location3to345.00 ± 1.00 mg/L at location 4), nitrate (0.25±0.03 mg/L at location 2 to 0.87 mg/Lat location8), and total ammonia nitrogen (0.20 ± 0.00 mg/L at location 4 to 1.10 ± 0.01 mg/Llocation6)were within National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agencypermissible limits. Microbial analysis using the membrane filtration technique revealed that halfof the samples contained fecal coliforms, ranging from 6.67 × 10⁴ ± 2.89 CFU/100 mL(location4 and 7) to 26.7×10⁴ ± 2.89 CFU/100 mL (location 5), and total coliformcounts rangingfrom6.67 × 10⁴ ± 2.89 CFU/100 mL (location 7) to 28.5 × 10⁴ ± 0.45 CFU/100 mL(location5). Elevated microbial loads were recorded at sites where sanitation systems were located within5–15 m of wells, suggesting infiltration of fecal waste and increased risk of waterborne diseases.