Physicochemical Profiles and Water Quality Indices of Surface Waters Collected from Falcorp Mangrove Swamp, Delta State, Nigeria

Surface water samples were collected at a frequency of once monthly for a period of 18 months; February 2013- July 2014, from several points on the Falcorp mangrove swamp, Ijala, Warri, Delta State. The abstracted samples were subjected to several physical and chemical analyses which were conducted in accordance with referenced procedures. The recorded data were subjected to statistical analysis and multivariate analysis using Microsoft excel, SPSS version 16.0 and PAST respectively. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) across the stations; Stations 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively for pH, Temperature, Electrical conductivity, DO, BOD₅, TSS, Turbidity, Chloride, Salinity, Sulphate, Nitrate, Hardness, Ca, Ma, Zn, Cd and Pb. There were significant difference (P<0.05) across the 5 stations for the following parameters; TDS, Bi-carbonate, Phosphate, Fe and Cu. The mean concentrations of most of the physical and chemical parameters in the surface water with the exception of pH were below acceptable WHO limits for portable water. The water quality index (WQI) at stations 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 ranged from 8.45-24.9, 8.31-23.95, 8.36-16.26, 8.24-10.11 and 8.43-23.58 respectively. The Principal component analysis (PCA) of the data sets yielded 35 variables under 22 components with Eigenvalues < 1 (PC1-PC6) and >1 (PC7-PC22). There was a positive correlation between pH, water temperature, TDS, EC, TSS, turbidity, Cl, HCO₃, salinity, SO₄, hardness, Ca, Mg, and Cd whilst a negative relationship existed between DO, BOD₅, PO₄, NO₃, Fe, Zn, Cu and Pb respectively.