Assessing Physicochemical and Heavy Metal Levels in Drinking Water of San Francisco, Agusan del Su | InformativeBD

Kevin Hope Z. Salvaña,  Romeo M. Del Rosario, and  Angelo Mark P. Walag, from the different institute of Philippines. wrote a Reseach Article about, Assessing Physicochemical and Heavy Metal Levels in Drinking Water of San Francisco, Agusan del Su. Entitled, Physicochemical properties and heavy metal concentrations in the drinking water of San Francisco, Agusan Del Sur, Philippines. This research paper published by the Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences (JBES). an open access scholarly research journal on Biodiversity. under the affiliation of the International Network For Natural Sciences| INNSpub. an open access multidisciplinary research journal publisher.

Abstract

Concerned about the safety of public drinking water supply, this study delved into the drinking water system in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, Philippines. There were two areas of concern in this study: the physicochemical properties which include alkalinity, conductivity, pH, salinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), total hardness, total suspended solids (TSS), and turbidity; and the heavy metal contaminants which include cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, lead, manganese, and nickel. The physicochemical properties and chemical contaminants present in both untreated and treated water were described based on their measured levels and were evaluated using the PNSDW 2017 and WHO-GDWQ. The findings showed that there is a decrease of levels in conductivity, TSS, turbidity, and manganese after the water treatment. The levels of total hardness at 303.02 mg/L fail to conform to the PNSDW 2017 and WHO-GDWQ standards while the rest of the physicochemical properties (alkalinity, conductivity, pH, salinity, TDS, total hardness, TSS, and turbidity) are under the maximum allowable level (MAL). The levels of Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Lead, Manganese, and Nickel are lower than the MAL value of the PNSDW 2017 and WHO-GDWQ. Manganese, which has no health-associated risk but might affect water acceptability, is measured at 0.008 mg/L and is lower than the MAL at 0.4000 mg/L in both standards. Generally, the water is not acceptable for drinking due to high levels of total hardness. Other mandatory parameters for microbiological quality are recommended to determine the suitability of the drinking water for human consumption.

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Introduction

Drinking water quality is one of the greatest factors affecting human health. However, the quality of the drinking water in many nations, particularly those that are developing, is not ideal, and this has led to an increase in the number of waterborne illnesses (Li and Wu, 2019).

Water pollution (surface and ground) may be considered as a naturally induced change in water quality or conditions induced directly by man’s numerous activities which render it unsuitable for food, human health, industry, agriculture, or leisure per suit (Dix, 1981). Toxic chemicals in water pose the greatest threat to the safety of drinking water and their effects are enormous and can cause damage to human health, crops, and aquatic organisms.

Synthetic chemicals such as herbicides and insecticides as well as fertilizer runoffs from agricultural farmlands and industrial discharge have the potential to impact negatively on human health since they block vital metabolic processes in the body. Runoffs from domestic houses, solid waste dumps, and commercial establishments may contain detergents and nutrients, which causes algae blooms in water bodies leading to eutrophication. Human waste excreta may contain a concentrated population of bacteria, pathogenic bacteria in untreated sewage, and may cause acute gastrointestinal illness. This phenomenon has rendered most surface water bodies polluted (Anim et al., 2010; Osei and Duker, 2008; Asante et al., 2008).

In the Philippines, water contamination of the surface water is due to exposure of chemicals which has been rampant, especially in areas exposed to industrial processes, such as but not limited to mining, agricultural processing, manufacturing, farming, and aquaculture according to Philippine Environment Monitor (Jalilov, 2017). Caraga, the mining capital of the Philippines, has more than 15 mining companies distributed in the region. Two of the mining companies are specifically located in Agusan del Sur which might have been affecting the Magdiwata Watershed which supplies water to the Municipality of San Francisco, Agusan del Sur (PSA, 2020).

The river network of Magdiwata Watershed extends from various municipalities of the province and is vulnerable to chemical contaminations. Periodic assessment of Magdiwata river networks has been conducted by the San Francisco Water District to ensure that the public water is free from waterborne microbes and chemical contaminants. However, external assessment, surveillance and/or monitoring must be done also to validate the test findings of the local supplier. Additional and external assessments for public drinking water support the integrity of water quality management.

As such, this research assessed the physicochemical properties and heavy metal contaminants in the public water system of San Francisco, Agusan del Sur before and after water treatment. Additionally, the assessment findings were evaluated against the existing and recent local and international drinking water standards which provided a picture of its general usability for drinking and utility purposes.

Reference

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Source : Physicochemical properties and heavy metal concentrations in the drinking water of SanFrancisco, Agusan Del Sur, Philippines 

 

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Heavy Metal Levels in Abandoned Mining Soil: Zamboanga City | Informative BD

Minsarib L. Kalnasa, and Alma N. Abug, from the different institute of the Philippines. wrote a research article about, Heavy Metal Levels in Abandoned Mining Soil: Zamboanga City. entitled, Heavy metal concentrations in soil from abandoned mining area in Barangay Baluno, Zamboanga City, Philippines. This research paper published by the Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences | JBES. an open access scholarly research journal on Biodiversity, under the affiliation of the International Network For Natural Sciences | INNSpub. an open access multidisciplinary research journal publisher.

Abstract

The study aimed to determine the extent of heavy metal contamination of Copper (Cu) and Lead (Pb) in the soil from the abandoned mining area in Zamboanga City, Philippines using the 2017 EMB Site Characterization Guidelines. Soil samples were randomly collected from 3 meridional blocks at 2 different soil depths, 0-5cm and 20-25cm. Pb and Cu concentrations, organic matter (OM) percentages, pH and Electrical Conductivity (EC) were analyzed using appropriate equipment across sampling sites. The study revealed that heavy metal content in Block 3 exceeded the maximum allowable concentrations based on WHO standard with an average mean of 3,351.00mgkg-1 Pb and 498.67mgkg-1 Cu at 20-25cm soil depth. Moreover, at 0-5cm soil depth, Block 3 had 4176.33mgkg-1 Pb and 494.67mgkg-1 Cu. Furthermore, soil pH was strongly acidic across all blocks with values of pH 5.0 at Block 1; pH 4.7 at Block 2 and pH 4.1 at Block 3. For EC and OM percentages, results ranged from 183.33 μS/cm to 286.67 μS/cm and 1.81% to 4.05%, respectively. Using Analysis of Variance at P < 0.05, this study further revealed that there is a significant difference of Pb and Cu concentrations in 3 meridional blocks at 0.001. This indicates that heavy metal concentrations present in the soil varies in the 3 blocks. However, in physico-chemical parameters, only organic matter has significant difference in all blocks at P ≤0.01. Based from the findings, it is recommended that counter measures be undertaken to minimize further retrogressive impacts of mine tailings left in the area specifically in Block 3.

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Introduction

Abandoned mining sites are significant sources of metal pollution even after centuries due to presence of contaminants in the soil. Toxic metals that remain in the soil and tailing ponds have the potential to travel and contaminate environmental habitats such as soil, water, groundwater, and air. It has the potential to alter soil texture, deplete nutrients, penetrate the food chain, create harmful consequences, and destroy ecological habitat and biological variety, including plants (Conesa et al., 2006; Baker et al., 2010; Rashed, 2010).

Soil pollution by heavy metals is a global environmental issue. Heavy metal contaminants represent a health risk to humans through food chain transfer from soils to crops, prompting increased scientific and public awareness of the issue (Alloway 1995; Oliver 1997; Chen and Lee, 1995; Chen et al., 2000) particularly in the areas close to industrial sites and in the vicinity of mining and smelting plants (Pushenreiter et al., 2005). Heavy metal pollution of soils can also be caused by the parent material's high heavy metal content (Huang, 1962; Reeves, 2003). People living in the area may not be aware of the soil pollution, according to Navarrete and Asio (2011), who cautioned that the risk posed by polluted soils is caused by a lack of awareness of people living in the area, who may not be aware of the presence of these pollutants and their health effects.

This study evaluated the concentrations of heavy metals in soil from abandoned mining area in Barangay Baluno, Zamboanga City. Soils in the surrounding mining areas are probably polluted by heavy metals which could possibly pose high health risks to the adjacent community (Li, 2014). The study area has been abandoned for a decade and this study would like to assess the possible contamination of heavy metals in the soil in the present. It was hypothesized that the soils from the abandoned mining area are highly concentrated with heavy metals. The main goal of this study was to determine the concentration of copper and lead in the soils from the abandoned mining area.

Reference

Heavy metal concentrations in soil from abandoned mining area in Barangay Baluno, Zamboanga City, Philippines

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Source : Heavy metal concentrations in soil from abandoned mining area in Barangay Baluno, ZamboangaCity, Philippines 

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