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Research Article
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Some Local Plants in Purification of Water Samples from Selected Sources
Suleiman Fanika,
Taofeek Alimi*,
Mohammed Zakariyawu
Issue:
Volume 12, Issue 4, December 2026
Pages:
105-115
Received:
5 September 2026
Accepted:
20 September 2026
Published:
9 October 2026
Abstract: This study evaluates the effectiveness of local plants such as banana peel, watermelon seed, neem leaf and orange peel in treating borehole and well water around Kontagora in Nigeria. Chemical coagulants such as alums present hazard and economic shortcomings in water treatment. They reduce water pH due to their acidic nature, against the pH 6.5 – 8.5 standard recommended for potable water. It is therefore, desirable to replace these chemical coagulants with plant-based ones, which are economic and environmental friendly. This study analysed some physicochemical parameters such as temperature, conductivity, and others, and heavy metals such as Cu, Fe and Pb before and after treatment with plant-based coagulants and alum. From the results, irrespective of water sample type and coagulant, the conductivities measurement before treatment was 28.8 – 30.6 µs/cm, and increased to 34.8 – 48.0 µs/cm for alum. The range was 37.6 – 48.8 µs/cm for plant-based. Turbidity before treatment ranged 0.96 – 6.50 NTU and decreased to the range 0.1 – 0.36 NTU for alum and 0.05 – 0.09 for plant-based. Total Dissolved Solid (TDS) before treatment ranged 4.00 – 7.00 mg/L and reduced to 2.15 – 4.00 mg/L for alum, 1.00 – 4.32 mg/L for plant-based. Total Hardness (TH) before treatment showed 28.00 – 32.00 mg/L range, which reduced to 28.00 – 30.00 mg/L for alum, 19.00 – 28.50 mg/L for plant-based. Most parameters, including alkalinity, acidity, BOD, DO, chloride, sulphate, colour and TSS showed improved performance with plant-based coagulants better than alum with values within the WHO standards for drinking water. Heavy metals analysed recorded varied concentrations: Fe in raw borehole water was 0.85 mg/L and reduced to 0.10 mg/L with alum, and 0.1 – 0.27 mg/L range with plant-based coagulants. Fe concentration in well water increased with all treatments, including alum. Cu, Fe and Pb concentrations in raw well water were 0.30 mg/L, 0.05 mg/L and 0.2 mg/L respectively, where Pb concentration was higher than the WHO limit of 0.01 mg/L set for drinking water. Pb was found below detection limit in borehole water. While alum reduced the levels of Cu to 0.07 mg/L, all the plant-based treatments increased its concentration within 0.1 – 0.87 mg/L range, which were below the 1.0 mg/L, WHO limits for Cu in drinking water. From these findings, in no particular order, the plant-based coagulants of banana peel, watermelon leaf and orange peel displayed greater potency for water treatment than neem leaf. Conclusively, all plant-based coagulants used in this study showcased better alternatives than alum.
Abstract: This study evaluates the effectiveness of local plants such as banana peel, watermelon seed, neem leaf and orange peel in treating borehole and well water around Kontagora in Nigeria. Chemical coagulants such as alums present hazard and economic shortcomings in water treatment. They reduce water pH due to their acidic nature, against the pH 6.5 – 8...
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Research Article
Assessment of the Quality of Drinking Water in Saraba Neighborhood in Darou Khoudoss (Thies, Senegal)
Issue:
Volume 12, Issue 4, December 2026
Pages:
116-123
Received:
17 August 2026
Accepted:
31 August 2026
Published:
20 October 2026
Abstract: Senegal, like all other developing countries, faces problems with access to drinking water. This study focused on evaluating the quality of drinking water in the Saraba neighborhood within the commune of Darou Khoudoss in the Thies region. The methodology involved collecting water samples from wells, boreholes, and taps, followed by physico-chemical analyses (T, pH, Electrical Conductivity, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, Fe2+, NO3-, SO42-, HCO3-, Cl-, F-) at the Hydrochemistry Laboratory of the Department of Geology at the Faculty of Science and Technology of Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar. The results show pH values for the well (5.60) and nitrate levels for the borehole (59.26 mg/L) and the well (288.97 mg/L) that are non-compliant. The analysis results show that a few parameters, namely the pH and nitrate content of the well and borehole, do not meet World Health Organization standards. NO3- ions have exceeded the threshold for human consumption (50 mg/l), which could be due to heavy agricultural activity in the area, but this water (well and borehole) can still be used for irrigation since it is used for making fertilizer. The well water has a high acidity level, which may render it unfit for human consumption. In general, water from wells and boreholes has characteristics that could expose local populations to health risks, underscoring the need for regular monitoring of their physicochemical and microbiological quality.
Abstract: Senegal, like all other developing countries, faces problems with access to drinking water. This study focused on evaluating the quality of drinking water in the Saraba neighborhood within the commune of Darou Khoudoss in the Thies region. The methodology involved collecting water samples from wells, boreholes, and taps, followed by physico-chemica...
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Review Article
Current State of Knowledge on Groundwater Quality in Moundou, Southwestern Chad: Hydrochemical Processes, Contamination Pathways and Implications for Public Health
Issue:
Volume 12, Issue 4, December 2026
Pages:
124-134
Received:
24 September 2026
Accepted:
10 October 2026
Published:
29 October 2026
Abstract: Groundwater is the main source of domestic water supply in Moundou, the second-largest city in Chad, located in the Western Logone basin and within the Chari-Logone hydrological system. The literature published specifically on groundwater quality in Moundou remains sparse, originating from a small number of research teams and often based on one-off sampling campaigns. This body of work is too narrow to support a systematic review in the PRISMA sense, but it lends itself to a narrative review that brings together, contextualises and critically interprets the available knowledge on Moundou and relates it to the regional and comparative literature on urban aquifers of the Sahel and West Africa. Groundwater in Moundou is generally low to moderately mineralised, with predominantly bicarbonate facies ranging from calcium-magnesium to sodium-potassium types, shaped by silicate weathering, carbonate dissolution and ion exchange and, to a lesser extent, by the dissolution of gypsum and CaCl2 salts. This relatively reassuring hydrochemical signature contrasts with a worrying bacteriological situation: the available studies report frequent contamination by total coliforms, faecal coliforms, Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp., with marked seasonal variability and the recent emergence of strains resistant to certain antibiotics. Comparison with other Sahelian and West African urban aquifers (N’Djamena, Cotonou, Ibadan, Dakar) shows that Moundou fits a regional pattern of vulnerability of shallow aquifers to on-site sanitation, while differing from them in its less arid climate, which for now limits the risks of salinisation and saline intrusion observed elsewhere. The review highlights major gaps: the lack of systematic coupling between hydrochemistry and bacteriology, limited temporal monitoring, and the still incomplete attribution of contamination sources. Sustainable management of the resource requires integrated, risk-based surveillance combining hydrochemistry, microbiology, sanitary inspection and geospatial tools.
Abstract: Groundwater is the main source of domestic water supply in Moundou, the second-largest city in Chad, located in the Western Logone basin and within the Chari-Logone hydrological system. The literature published specifically on groundwater quality in Moundou remains sparse, originating from a small number of research teams and often based on one-off...
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,
Ahmed Dame Mboup
