Effect of Mining Activities on Groundwater Quality in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria

The groundwater quality in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State was assessed for a period of seven (7) months (November 2020 to June 2021) at seven (7) sampling locations (SLs) to determine the effects of mining activities on the quality status. Measurements were made on samples collected with 500ml sample bottles for ten (10) physical and chemical parameters according to standard methods. Water samples for six (6) heavy metals were collected in 250ml bottles and fixed with concentrated HNO3. Descriptive Statistics, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Pearson’s Correlative Coefficient (r), and Water Quality Index were used to analyze data. Mean values of the parameters obtained were: Temperature 27.84 ±0.28°C, pH 6.57±0.15, EC 78.00±7.00µs/cm, TDS 29.84 ± 6.40mg/L, TSS 3.80 ±0.56mg/L, Turbidity 2.31 ± 0.3 1NTU, DO 6.05 ±0.57 mg/L, Alkalinity 9.90 ±0.72mg/L, COD9.25±0.97mg/L, BOD 2.76±0.40mg/L,Mg 0.93±0.14mg/L, Hardness 7.93±0.58mg/L, Pb 0.31±0.01mg/L, Zn 26.20±3.00mg/L, Cu 2.30 ± 0.36mg/L, Cd 0.71 ±0.23mg/L, and Cr 0.47±0.16mg/L. All the trace metals analyzed (Mg, Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, and Cr) exceeded the permissible limits of WHO (2010). There significant spatial difference in the levels of Temperature, Alkalinity, and Total Hardness (Sig F= 0.06 to 0.174) and significant temporal difference in the levels of Temperature, EC, pH, and TDS between control and other locations at p