Fluoride Action Network

home // News // Fluoride levels in deep aquifers of Makurdi, North-central, Nigeria: an appraisal based on multivariate statistics and human health risk analysis. //

Fluoride levels in deep aquifers of Makurdi, North-central, Nigeria: an appraisal based on multivariate statistics and human health risk analysis.

Source: Environmental Monitoring and Assessment volume 193:477. | July 7th, 2021 | Authors: Iwar RT, Ogedengbe K, Katibi KK, Jabbo JN.
Location: Nigeria

Abstract

Fluoride enrichment of groundwater has been adjudged to be a global environmental challenge in the past decade as most humans depend on groundwater for their domestic needs. This study was conducted to investigate the ionic and fluoride concentrations in borehole water and its associated health risk potentials to residents of Makurdi town and its environs, Benue state, Nigeria. Multivariate statistical techniques were for the first time used to explain the mechanisms of fluoride occurrence in groundwater in the study area. An aggregate of sixty-three (63) groundwater samples were retrieved from boreholes in twenty-one (21) diverse points within the study area and assessed for its physico-chemical composition with emphasis on fluoride content and health risk potentials following standard field and laboratory procedures. It was observed that fluoride content in the sampled water exceeded the stipulated safe limit of 1.5 mg/L in about 33.33% of the total samples and ranged from 0.34 to 2.06 mg/L with an average of 1.26 ± 0.41 mg/L. Moderate affirmative relationships were observed to exist between F– and TDS, F– and EC, F– and Cl–, and F– and NO3– in the water samples indicative of a common source pollution. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that high fluoride content in the water samples was associated with the dissolutions from quartzite and shale into the underlying deep aquifers as well as from contributions from anthropogenic activities including fertilizer and pesticide uses. Fluoride risk assessment indicated that the hazard quotient (HQ) for ingestion of fluoride laden water exceeded the threshold value in 66.7, 71.4, 52.4, and 9.5% of the samples for infants, children, teenagers, and adults respectively. It was found that multivariate statistical procedures such as PCA and correlation analysis (CA) are capable of establishing the relationship among groundwater pollutants, while hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was found suitable for explaining the likely sources/processes of pollutant enrichment in the groundwater. It is recommended that the findings of this study would serve as a basis for policy makers and regulatory bodies towards ameliorating the menace of groundwater contamination within the study area.

Keywords: Correlation analysis; Fluoride contamination; Groundwater; Hazard quotient; Principal component analysis.

*Original abstract online at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10661-021-09230-8

References

    1. Achary, M. S., Panigrahi, S., Satpathy, K. K., Prabhu, R. K., & Panigrahy, R. C. (2016). Health risk assessment and seasonal distribution of dissolved trace metals in surface waters of Kalpakkam, southwest coast of Bay of Bengal. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 6, 96–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsma.2016.03.017 – DOI
    1. Adekunle, A. A., Adedayo, O. B., & Abiola, O. O. (2013). Pollution studies on groundwater contamination: Water quality of Abeokuta, Ogun state, South-West Nigeria. Journal of Environmental Earth Science 3, 161–166.
    1. Adimalla, N., & Venkatayogi, S. (2017). Mechanism of fluoride enrichment in groundwater of hard rock aquifers in Medak, Telangana State, South India. Environmental Earth Science, 76,45. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-6362-2
    1. Adimalla, N., Li, P., & Venkatayogi, S. (2018). Hydrogeochemical evaluation of groundwater quality for drinking and irrigation purposes and integrated interpretation with water quality index studies. Environmental Process, 5, 363–383. – DOI
    1. Ahada, C. P. S., & Suthar, S. (2019). Assessment of human health risk associated with high groundwater fluoride intake in southern districts of Punjab, India. Exposure and Health, 11, 267–275. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-017-0268-4 – DOI
    1. Ahmadzadeh, S., Yoosefian, M and Rezayi, M. (2019). Comprehensive experimental and theoretical investigations on chromium (III) trace detection in biological and environmental samples using polymeric membrane sensor, International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1080/03067319.2019.1685664
    1. Aghazadeh, N., Chitsazan, M., & Golestan, Y. (2016). Hydrochemistry and quality assessment of groundwater in the Ardabil area. Iran. Applied Water Science, 7(7), 3599–3616. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-016-0498-9 – DOI
    1. Akoteyon, I.S. (2013). Hydro-chemical studies of ground water in parts of Lagos, Southwestern Nigeria. Bulletin of Geography – Physical Geography Series, 6: 27 – 42. doi:10.2478/bgeo-2013-0002.
    1. Akpata, E. S., Danifillo, I. S., Otoh, E. C., & Mafeni, J. O. (2009). Geographical mapping of fluoride levels in drinking water sources in Nigeria. Africa Health Sciences, 9(4), 227–233.
    1. Akuh, T. I. (2014). Hydrogeology and groundwater quality in Makurdi metropolis and its environs, part of Makurdi (sheet 251), North Central Nigeria. MSc. Thesis Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Amhadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, 151pp.
    1. Ali, S. A., & Ali, U. (2018). Hydrochemical characteristics and spatial analysis of groundwater quality in parts of Bundelkhand Massif, India. Applied Water Science, 8, 39. – DOI
    1. Ali, S., Thakur, S. K., Sarker, A., & Shekhar, S. (2016). Worldwide contamination of water by fluoride. Environmental Chemistry Letters. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10311-016-0563-5 .
    1. Al-Omran, A., Al-Barakah, F., Altuquq, A., Aly, A., & Nadeem, M. (2015). Drinking water quality assessment and water quality index of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Water Quality Research Journal of Canada, 50(3), 287–296. – DOI
    1. Amadi, A. N., Tukur, A., Okunola, I. A., Olasehinde, P. I., & Jimoh, M.O. (2015). Lithologic influence on the hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater in Zango, North-West Nigeria. National Resource and Conservation, 3(1), 11–18.
    1. APHA. (2005). Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater (twentieth). American Public Health Association.
    1. Aravinthasamya, P., Karunanidhia, D., Subramanib, T., Priyadarsi, B., Roy, D., & D and Srinivasamoorthy, K. (2019). Fluoride contamination in groundwater of the Shanmuganadhi River basin (south India) and its association with other chemical constituents using geographical information system and multivariate statistics. Geochemistry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2019.125555 – DOI
    1. Ashrafi, S.D., Jaafari, J., Sattari, L., Esmaeilzadeh, N., & Safari, G.H. (2020). Monitoring and health risk assessment of fluoride in drinking water of East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1080/03067319.2020.1849662 .
    1. ASTM Method D9214 (1996). Potentiometric determination of fluoride in aqueous samples with ion selective electrodes, USA.
    1. Asuma, O. O., Emekeme, R. I., Aweto, K. E., & Ofomola, M. V. (2020). Geophysical investigation of resistivity and groundwater quality in Ogbeh-Ijoh coastal area of Western Niger-Delta of Nigeria. Applied Water Science, 10, 70. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-020-1144-0 – DOI
    1. Avazpour, S., Pardakhty, A., Nabatian, E., & Ahmadzadeh, S. (2020). Economical approach for determination of kojic acid by nanostructured ionic liquid-based carbon paste sensor. BioNanoScience. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12668-020-00723-3 – DOI
    1. Badakhshan, S., Ahmadzadeh, S., Mohseni-Bandpei, A., Aghasi, M., & Basiri, A. (2019). Potentiometric sensor for iron (III) quantitative determination: Experimental and computational approaches. BMC Chemistry, 13(1), 131. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13065-019-0648-x – DOI
    1. Bempah, C. K. (2014). Arsenic contamination of groundwater in south western part of Ashanti Region of Ghana. PhD Thesis, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Process Engineering, Brandenburg University of Technology, Cottbus-Senftenberg, Germany.
    1. Bura, B., Goni, I. B., Sherrif, B. M., & Gazali, A. K. (2018). Occurrence and distribution of fluoride in groundwater of chad formation aquifers in Borno State, Nigeria. International Journal of Hydrogen, 2(4), 528–537.
    1. Chabukdhara, M., Gupta, S. K., Kotecha, Y., & Nema, A. K. (2017). Groundwater quality in Ghaziabad district, Uttar Pradesh, India: Multivariate and health risk assessment. Chemos, 179, 167–178. – DOI
    1. Chebet, E. B., Kibet, J. K., & Mbui, D. (2020). The assessment of water quality in River Molo water basin, Kenya. Applied Water Science, 10, 92. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-020-1173-8 – DOI
    1. Chia, V. D., Ijir, S. T., Iwar, R., & Ndulue, E. L. (2014). The contending issues of domestic water supply in Makurdi metropolis, Benue State, Nigeria. Civil and Environmental Researches, 6(9), 89–96.
    1. Dehghani, M.H., Zarei, A., Yousefi, M., Asghari , F.B. & Haghighat, G.A. (2019). Fluoride contamination in groundwater resources in the southern Iran and its related human health risks. Desalination and Water Treatment, 153: 95 – 104.
    1. Dhanya, R., & Shaji, I. (2017). Fluoride contamination in groundwater resources of Alleppey, Southern India. Geoscience Frontiers, 8(1), 117–124. – DOI
    1. Dibal, H. U., Schoeneich, K., Lar, U. A., Garba, I., Lekmang, I. K., & Daspan, R. I. (2016). Hydrogeochemical appraisal of fluoride in groundwater of Langtang area, Plateau State, Nigeria. Global Journal of Geological Sciences, 14, 23–39. https://doi.org/10.4314/gjgs.v14i1.3 – DOI
    1. Dirisu, C. G., Mafiana, M. O., Okwodu, N. E., & Isaac, A. U. (2016). Fluoride content of community drinking water: Biological and public health implications. American Journal of Water Resources, 4(3), 54–57.
    1. Dolatabadi, M., & Ahmadzadeh, S. (2020). Microplastics pollution in aquatic environment. Problems and challenges. Journal of Environmental Health and Sustainable Development, 5(2): 980–981. https://doi.org/10.18502/jehsd.v5i2.3383
    1. Dolatabadi, M., & Ahmadzadeh, S. (2018). Phthalates as emerging pollutants in eater environment: Control & treatment strategies. Journal of Environmental Health and Sustainable Development, 3(3), 554–556.
    1. Egbueri, J. C., & Mgbenu, C. N. (2020). Chemometric analysis for pollution source identification and human health risk assessment of water resources in Ojoto Province, southeast Nigeria. Applied Water Science, 10, 98. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-020-01180-9 – DOI
    1. Emenike, P. C., Nnaji, C. C., & Tenebe, I. T. (2018a). Assessment of geo-spatial and hydro-chemical interactions of groundwater quality, Southern Nigeria. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 190–440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-6799-8
    1. Emenike, P. C., Tenebe, I. T., & Jarvis, P. (2018b). Fluoride contamination in groundwater sources in Southwestern Nigeria: Assessment using multivariate statistical approach and human health risk. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 156, 391–402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.03.022
    1. Emenike, P. C., Omole, D. O., Ngene, B. U., & Tenebe, I. T. (2016). Potentiality of agricultural adsorbent for the sequestering of metal ions from wastewater. Global Journal of Environmental Science and Management, 2, 411–442. https://doi.org/10.22034/gjesm.2016.02.04.010 .
    1. Eneji, I. S., & Sha’Ato, R., & Annune, P. (2011). An assessment of heavy metals loading in River benue in the makurdi metropolitan area in Central Nigeria. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 184(1), 201–207. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-011-1959-0 – DOI
    1. Ephraim-Emmanuel, B. C., Abara, A. A., Ogbomade, R., & Francis, E. (2016). Prevalence of dental fluorosis among secondary school children in Oloibiri Community. International Journal of Trophical Disease & Health, 11(1), 1–7. – DOI
    1. Fulata, M. A., Busugumu, U. A., Ngubdo, A. M., Bukama, A. M., & Gadam, A. (2017). Determination of fluoride in some boreholes (A case of Monguno local government area). Journal of Chemistry Reasearch, 2(4), 42–46.
    1. Ganyaglo, S. Y., Abass, G., Teye, E. M., Owosu-Ansah, E. D. J., Tettey, S., Diabene, P. Y., & Asimah, S. (2019). Groundwater fluoride contamination and probabilistic health risk assessment in fluoride endemic areas of upper east region, Ghana. Chemosphere, 233, 862–872. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.05.276 – DOI
    1. Gao, Z., Shi, M., Zhang, H., Feng, J., Fang, S., & Cui, Y. (2020). Formation and in situ treatment of high fluoride concentrations in shallow groundwater of a semi-arid region: Jiaolai basin, China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17, 8075. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17218075 – DOI
    1. Goyit, M. P., Solomon, O. A., & Kutshuk, R. J. (2018). Distribution of fluoride in surface and ground water: A case study of Langtang North, Plateau State, Nigeria. International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences, 12(2), 1057–1067. – DOI
    1. Ghosh, A., & Mondal, S. (2018). Application of multivariate statistics towards the geochemical evaluation of fluoride enrichment in groundwater at Shilabati river bank, West Bengal, India. Environmental Engineering Research, 24(2), 279–288. https://doi.org/10.4491/eer.2018.178 – DOI
    1. Guissouma, W., Hakami, O., Al-Rajab, A. J., & Tarhouni, J. (2017). Risk assessment of fluoride exposure in drinking water of Tunisia. Chemosphere, 177, 102–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.03.011 – DOI
    1. Gwaha, A. M. (2017). Dental fluorosis in a rural Nigerian community: Is the water to blame? (p. 64). Thesis, Department of Natural and Environmental Sciences, American University of Nigeria.
    1. Haji, M., Karuppanan, S., Qin, D., & Shube, S. (2021). Potential human health risks due to groundwater fluoride contamination: A case study using multi-techniques approaches(GWQI, FPI, GIS, HHRA) in Bilate River Basin of Southern Main Ethiopian Rift, Ethiopia. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-020-00802-2
    1. Hosseini, H., Shakeri, A., Rezaei, M., Barmaki, M. D., & Mehr, M. R. (2019). Water chemistry and water quality pollution indices of heavy metals: A case study of Chahnimeh Water Reservoirs, Southeast of Iran. International Journal of Energy & Water Resources. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42108-019-00051-7
    1. Idon, P. I., & Enabulele, J. E. (2018). Prevalence, severity, and request for treatment of dental fluorosis among adults in an endemic region of Northern Nigeria. European Journal of Dentistry, 12(2), 184–190. https://doi.org/10.4103/ejd.ejd_260_17 – DOI
    1. Iorliam, A. Y., Okwu, P., & Ukya, T. J. (2013). Geotechnical properties of Makurdi shale treated with bamboo leaf ash. Assumption University Journal of Technology, 16(3), 174 -180.
    1. IRIS, U. (2017). Integrated risk information system, USEPA https://cfpubepagov/ncea/iris/search/indexcfm?keyword=fluoride.8 . Accessed 19th November, 2020.
    1. Isikwue, M. O., & Onyilo, A. F. (2010). Influence of land use on the hydraulic response of a loamy sand tropical soil. Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences, 1(2), 144 – 149.
    1. Karunanidhi, D., Aravinthasamy, P., Subramani, T., Jianhua Wu, J., & Srinivasamoorthy, K. (2019). Potential health risk assessment for fluoride and nitrate contamination in hard rock aquifers of Shanmuganadhi River basin, South India. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment:An International Journal. https://doi.org/10.1080/10807039.2019.1568859
    1. Keta-Rokbani, M., Moncef, G., & Bouhlila, R. (2011). Use of geographical information system and water quality index to assess groundwater quality in El Khairat deep aquifer Enfidha, Tunisian Sahel. Iranian Journal of Energy & Environment, 2, 133–144.
    1. Magesh, N. S., Chandrasekar, N., & Elango, L. (2017). Trace element concentrations in the groundwater of the Tamiraparani river basin, South India: Insights from human health risk and multivariate statistical techniques. Chemosphere, 185, 468–479. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.07.044 – DOI
    1. Mahamud, H. S. (2012). Pilot column studies on adsorption of fluoride onto coated high aluminium bauxite ore (HABO) and charcoal. Msc. Thesis, Department of Civil Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Ghana, 100pp.
    1. Malago, J., Makoba, E., & Muzuka, A. N. N. (2017). Fluoride levels in surface and groundwater in Africa: A review. American Journal of Water Resources, 3(1), 1–17. – DOI
    1. Malum, J. F., Onoja, S. B., & Udochukwu, M. O. (2019). Prevalence of fluoride contamination in ground watersources in Kaltungo, Gombe State, Nigeria. International Journal of Trend in Research and Development, 6(1), 2394–2403.
    1. Mahmud, A., Sikder, S., & Joardar, J. C. (2020). Assessment of groundwater quality in Khulna city of Bangladesh in terms of water quality index for drinking purpose. Applied Water Science, 10, 226. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-020-01314-z – DOI
    1. Nakazawa, K., Nagafuchi, O., Otede, U., Chen, J., Kanefuji, K., & Shinozuka, K. (2020). Risk assessment of fluoride and arsenic in groundwater and a scenario analysis for reducing exposure in Inner Mongolia. RSC Advances, 10, 18296–18304. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0ra00435arsc.li/rsc-advances – DOI
    1. NOAA. (2016). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climatic Report. Release 17–006. https://www.nasa.gov . Accessed 7th December, 2020.
    1. Odjegba, E. E., Idowu, O. A., Oluwasanya, G. O., Ikenweiwe, N. B., & Martins, O. (2014). Assessment of water demand and seasonal variation of bacteriological content of public water systems in Abeokuta. International Journal of Institution Ecology and Environmental Studies, 2, 81–92.
    1. Olasehinde, P. I., Amadi, A. N., Okunola, I. A., Dan-Hassan, M. A., & Jimoh, M. O. (2016). Occurrence of fluoride and some heavy metals in groundwater from shallow aquifers near Ogbomosho. North-Central Nigeria. Journal of Natural Sciences Research, 6(13), 55–60.
    1. Okunola, I. A., Amadi, A. N., Olasehinde, P. I., Maspalma, S. S., & Okoye, N. O. (2016). Quality assessment of groundwater from shallow aquifers in Hong area, Adamawa State, northern Nigeria. IFE Journal of Science, 18(1), 267–283.
    1. Pazand, K. (2016). Geochemisty and multivariate statistical analysis for fluoride occurrence in groundwater in the Kuhbanan basin, central Iran. Modeling Earth Systems and Environment, 2, 72. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40808-016-0127-5 – DOI
    1. Rafique, T., Naseem, S., Usmani, T. H., Bashir, E., Khan, F. A., & Bhanger, M. I. (2009). Geochemical factors controlling the occurrence of high fluoride groundwater in the Nagar Parkar area, Sindh, Pakistan. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 171, 424–430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazm
    1. Rasool, A., Xiao, T., Farooqi, A., Shafeeque, M., Masood, S., Ali, S., Fahad, S., & Nasim, W. (2016). Arsenic and heavy metal contaminations in the tube well water of Punjab, Pakistan and risk assessment: A case study. Ecological Engineering, 95, 90–100. – DOI
    1. Radfard, M., Rahmatinia, M., Akbari, H., Hashemzadeh, B., Akbari, H., & Adibzadeh, A. (2018). Data on health risk assessment of fluoride in water distribution network of Iranshahr. Iranian Data in Brief, 20, 1446–1452. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2018.08.184 – DOI
    1. Ravikumar, P., & Somashekar, R. K. (2017). Principal component analysis and hydrochemical facies characterization to evaluate groundwater quality in Varahi river basin, Karnataka state, India. Applied Water Science, 7, 745–755. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-015-0287 – DOI
    1. Salifu, A., Petrusevski, B., Ghebremichael, K., & Buamah, R. (2012). Multivariate statistical analysis for fluoride occurrence in groundwater in the Northern region of Ghana. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 140–141, 34–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconhyd.2012.08.002 – DOI
    1. Saxena, V. K., & Ahmed, S. (2001). Dissolution of fluoride in groundwater: A water-rock interaction study. Environmental Geology, 40, 1084–1087. https://doi.org/10.1007/s002540100290 – DOI
    1. Sellami, M., Riahi, H., Maatallah, K., Ferjani, H., Bouaziz, M. C., & Ladeb, M. F. (2019). Skeletal fluorosis: Don’t miss the diagnosis! Skeletal Radiology . https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-019-03302-0 – DOI
    1. Sharaf, M. A. M., & Subyani, A. M. (2011). Assessing of groundwater contamination by toxic elements through multivariate statistics and spatial interpolation, Wadi Fatimah, Western Arabian Shield, Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research, 2, 9–16.
    1. Shen, J., & Schäfer, A. I. (2015). Factors affecting fluoride and natural organic matter (NOM) removal from natural waters in Tanzania by nanofiltration/reverse osmosis. Science of the Total Environment, 527–528, 520–529. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.04.037 – DOI
    1. The World Gazetteer. (2020). Archived from the original on 14th September, 2018. Retrieved 6th April 2020.
    1. Tirkey, P., Bhattacharya, T., Chakraborty, S., & Baraik, S. (2017). Assessment of groundwater quality and associated health risks: A case study of Ranchi city, Jharkhand, India. Groundwater for Sustainable Development, 5, 85–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2017.05.002 – DOI
    1. Uriah, L. A., Dibal, H., & Schoeneich, K. (2014). Fluoride in groundwater in Nigeria: Origin and human health impact. American Journal of Environmental Protection, 3(6), 66–69.
    1. USEPA (2011). Exposure Factors Handbook: 2011 Edition, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USA. EPA/600/R-090/052F.
    1. WHO. (2017). Guidelines for drinking water quality, 4th edition incorporating the first addendum. Swizerland.
    1. WHO. (2008). Guidelines for drinking water quality, 1(3), Switzerland.
    1. WHO. (2004). The world health report: Changing history. Switzerland.
    1. Yousefi, M., Ghoochani, M., & Mahvi, A. H. (2018). Health risk assessment to fluoride in drinking water of rural residents living in the Poldasht city, Northwest Iran. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 148, 426–430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2017.10.057 – DOI
Print Friendly Version of this pagePrint Get a PDF version of this webpagePDF