IJSTR >> Volume 4 - Issue 12, December 2015 Edition

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AUTHOR(S)

Obinwanne, Cletus Okechukwu

KEYWORDS

Keywords: Water samples, Coastal tourism, Rivers State, Tourists, Tourism development, water quality standard and World Health Organization Standard.

ABSTRACT

Abstract: The study evaluated some physico-chemical properties of water samples from Port Harcourt, Bonny and Opobo to determine the safety of water from the areas for sustainable coastal tourism development in Rivers State, Nigeria. Three water samples were collected with three sterilized plastic containers with a capacity of 25cl which were subjected to laboratory tests to know their constituents. The parameters tested were appearance, temperature, colour, turbidity, conductivity, PH, alkalinity, lead (Pb), Chromium (Cr), Cadmium (Cd), Ammonia, BODs and Dissolved Oxygen. The results of the water samples were compared with World Health Organization (WHO) water quality standard and the Nigeria National Water Quality standard to determine the safety of the water for human consumption and tourism development. The study revealed that Port Harcourt site has more prospects for tourism development more than Opobo study site because the Ph, alkalinity and BODs levels were lower than that of Opobo making the water safer except that the amount of dissolved oxygen was a little high in Opobo and turbidity was not detected in Opobo. The study revealed that Bonny water was very dense in appearance, dark brown in colour, highly turbid, basic and with mean concentration of the heavy metals – Lead, chromium and cadmium higher than the recommended World Health Organization (WHO) water quality standard and the Nigeria National Water Quality standard and therefore not safe for drinking and swimming. Treated portable water should be provided for the people of Port Harcourt, Opobo and Bonny especially people from Bonny area and development of tourism in the state to save the people and tourists from imminent danger of fecal contaminants and toxic substances.

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