Publication: Assessment of Available Phosphates and Nitrates Levels in Water and Sediments of River Isiukhu, Kenya
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2020-06-22
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Science and Education Publishing
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Surface water contamination has become one of the main environmental issues of concern and achallenge to the world population, especially in the developing world, that face potable or usable water security. Inthis study concentrations of available nutrients (PO43- and NO3-) in sediments and water along River Isiukhu, withinLake Victoria catchment area in Kenya are presented. Sediments and water samples were collected from 11sampling sites along River Isiukhu. Available phosphorus was determined by a Spectrophotometric method in whichthe ammonium phosphomolybdate complex, was reduced by ascorbic acid in the presence of antimony to give adistinct blue color complex. Available nitrate was measured spectrophotometrically at 420nm using UVI609PCUV/VIS Spectrophotometer. Physicochemical parameters such as temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity,salinity, conductivity, were measured on-site using mobile Hydrolab Quanta. Phosphates concentrations rangedfrom 1.18 ± 0.09 to 3.28 ± 0.5 in water (mg/l) and 2.30 ± 0.03 to 4.51 ± 0.31 in sediment (mg/kg) andnitrates concentrations ranged from 0.15 ± 0.04 to 0.75 ± 0.03 in water (mg/l) and 0.75 ± 0.02 to 1.93 ± 0.05 insediment (mg/kg). The coefficient of variation (CV) depicted that all the physical-chemical parameters measuredvaried widely except pH and temperature. Pearson's correlation matrix was used to show the relationship betweennutrients concentrations in sediments and water and also for the physical-chemical parameters at significantdifferences accepted at P ≤ 0.05 . There was variation in Pearson correlation coefficient analysis for all theparameters tested.
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Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology