ABSTRACT
An investigation of microbial and physic-chemical characteristics of fresh water habitat in Oghara, Delta state. The quality of water samples from Oghara pond used for fishing purposes in the study area, Oghara community in Delta State was assessed monthly between January, 2021 and April ,2021. Water samples were collected from three different stations to determine the physical, chemical and microbial characteristics of the pond water at each sampling stations. Twenty-one physical chemical parameters and five heavy metals were analysed using standard methods .The parameters includes pH, depth, water temperature, Air temperature, conductivity, turbidity, suspended solids, dissolved oxygen, BOD, potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, total hardness, alkalinity, chloride, COD, sulphate, phosphate, nitrate, iron, copper, zinc, chromium, manganese ,total coliform count and total bacteria count. The Concentration of the parameters in the water sample ranged in the following order: pH 6.05 - 6.76,water temperature 26. 28.8°C, air temperature 27.8 - 28.2, depth 2.83 -3.23, conductivity 27.67- 69.33, turbidity 12.82 -30.49mg/L, suspended solids 10.3- 12.33mg/L, dissolved oxygen 2.85 - 3.6mg/L, BOD 4.53 -5.93mg/L, potassium 0.81 - 5.67mg/L, sodium 1.62 - 3.40mg/L, calcium 0.85 -5.62mg/L, magnesium 1.03 - 1.81mg/L, total hardness 6.41 - 21.36mg/L, alkalinity 5.08 - 12.91mg/L, chloride 7.87- 19.63mg/L, COD 10.1 - 14mg/L, sulphate 2.86 - 6.44mg/L, phosphate 0.07 - 0.12mg/L, nitrate 2.25 -3.71mg/L, iron 0.22 - 1.50mg/L, copper 0.03 - 0.04mg /L, zinc 0.05 - 0.07mg/L, chromium 0.02 - 0.017mg/L, manganese 0.08 - 0.54mg/L ,total coliform fluctuated between 27.25 - 38 and total bacteria count was between 4.35×10 to 6.23 ×10. In this study, the pH ranged from slightly acidic in all the stations . Water from all sampled station had their conductivity values less than the permissible standard. Dissolved oxygen, sodium, chloride, copper, potassium, phosphate, nitrate, sulphate, magnesium, calcium, alkalinity, zinc are below the permissible standard, iron, BOD, turbidity are above permissive standard and during the entire period of study, total coliform and total bacteria count were present in all stations.
