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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Water
Sec. Water and Human Systems
Volume 6 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/frwa.2024.1378849
This article is part of the Research Topic Advances in Biomonitoring of African Aquatic Ecosystems - Volume II View all 4 articles

Human activities and their impact on health condition of Lukosi River catchment using selected physico-chemical parameters as indicators of water quality

Provisionally accepted
Ahmad A. Nyagongo Ahmad A. Nyagongo *Vedasto G. Ndibalema Vedasto G. Ndibalema Makarius C. Lalika Makarius C. Lalika
  • Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The Lukosi river catchment plays a crucial role in the economic and ecological framework of the country as a major contributor to the great Ruaha river. This study aimed to assess impact of human activities on the health of Lukosi river by analyzing key water parameters. Three sampling sites across the catchment were selected, and water samples were collected and analyzed using the American public health association technique. One sample t test was used to measure significance different between measured water quality parameter with the water quality criteria established by TBS and WHO. Results revealed mean values for various parameters: pH (8.67 ± 0.57), Temperature (24.803 ± 1.361°C), EC (93.30 ± 3.34 mgL-1), BOD (14.85 ± 1.49 mgL-1), TDS (46.95 ± 1.55 mgL-1), Total Hardness (27.53 ± 1.28 mgL-1), DO (3.4 ± 0.53 mgL-1), Turbidity (109.83 ± 40.99 mgL-1), NO2 (79.04 ± 0.73 mgL-1), Cu (6.07 ± 0.60 mgL-1), Ca (7.88 ± 0.36 mgL-1), Mn (0.16 ± 0.07 mgL-1), Cl (7.58 ± 3.97 mgL-1), F (0.12 ± 0.0008 mgL-1), SO4 (20.42 ± 4.12 mgL-1), Mg (1.92 ± 0.13 mgL-1), Zn (0.14 ± 0.11 mgL-1), Fe (3.56 ± 0.15 mgL-1), and NH3 (4.67 ± 0.51 mgL-1). Significantly (P=0.05), parameters like DO, turbidity, NH3, NO3 and BOD exceeded permissible limits set by TBS and WHO. Further, elements including, Fe and Cu exceeded allowable limits. Moreover, WQI was used indicate that the water in the catchment is unsuitable for sustaining aquatic organisms and is unfit for domestic use. Household questionnaires and direct observations identified key human activities in the catchment: gardening (78.3%), agriculture (68%), livestock Keeping (50%), sand mining (21%) and brick-making (21%). Less prevalent were car washing (7%) and fishing (4%). These findings underscore the urgent need for conservation efforts and sustainable management practices to safeguard the Lukosi river catchment.

    Keywords: Health condition, Human Activities, Lukosi River Catchment, Physico-chemical parameters, Water quality index

    Received: 30 Jan 2024; Accepted: 30 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Nyagongo, Ndibalema and Lalika. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Ahmad A. Nyagongo, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania

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