The impact of farming on river banks on water quality of the rivers

Abstract

A study was carried out in a strip of a river in the dry and rainy seasons to assess the effect of farming along river banks on the quality of water in rivers. The results showed that there was an increase in the concentration of nitrate in the water downstream in both the rainy and dry seasons. In both rainy and dry seasons, the total nitrogen in the soil was highest (p<0.01) in the middle section. Significant seasonal differences (p<0.01) were observed for phosphate in water, being higher in the dry season. In the soil, the concentration of phosphate showed significant sectional differences (p<0.01) in the rainy season with the highest concentration observed in the lower section (1.74±0.01mg/l) and the least in the upper section (1.02±0.01g/l). However, in the dry season, the highest concentration was obtained in the middle section (1.69±0.01mg/l) and the least in the upper section (1.15±0.02 mg/l). The results suggest that the farms along the riverbanks have an impact on the water quality of the water in the river. It is therefore recommended that there should be close monitoring of the activities of the farms on riverbanks to minimise their impacts on the natural ecosystems that they interact with. Frequent monitoring of the water quality in the rivers relative to the farming estates should be done.

Authors and Affiliations

B. Chimwanza, P. P. Mumba, B. H. Z. Moyo , W. Kadewa

Keywords

Related Articles

Performance of upflow anoxic bioreactor for wastewater treatment

Laboratory scale studies were conducted in an up-flow anoxic bioreactor (UFAB) using synthetic fertilizer wastewater for ascertaining the denitrification efficiency. The performance of the reactor was compared using etha...

Biodegradation of Cypermethrin by pseudomonas in a batch activated sludge process

The biodegradation of Cypermethrin (20 to 125 mg/L) in an effluent using batch activated sludge was studied. Degradation was found to occur to a great extent only in the presence of Pseudomonas (IES-Ps-1) culture. Under...

Chemical analysis of drinking water from some communities in the Brong Ahafo region

This study consisted of the determination of the trace metals and some physiochemical properties in drinking water samples from the Brong Ahafo region of the Republic of Ghana, where drinking water samples are not treate...

High rate anaerobic treatment of Sago wastewater using HUASB with PUF as carrier

Sago industry is one of the major small-scale sectors in India and over 800 units are located in the southern State of Tamilnadu. Processing of sago generates enormous quantities of high strength wastewater requiring sys...

Estimation of number of deaths associated with exposure to excess ambient PM10 air pollution

The respirable particle matter (PM10) concentration in urban areas has been a chronic cause concern and principal reason for increased morbidity rate among resident population. The present study aimed at estimating a dis...

Download PDF file
  • EP ID EP83967
  • DOI -
  • Views 99
  • Downloads 0

How To Cite

B. Chimwanza, P. P. Mumba, B. H. Z. Moyo, W. Kadewa (2006). The impact of farming on river banks on water quality of the rivers. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 2(4), 353-358. https://europub.co.uk/articles/-A-83967