Assessment of Interstitial and Surface Water Quality of Ibaka Creek Rivers State, Nigeria: The Case of Artisanal Refinery Activities

The study examined how artisanal refinery activities affect interstitial and surface water quality along Ibaka Creek, Rivers State, Nigeria. A multi-meter was used to measure the temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), salinity, and total dissolved solids. In addition to dissolved oxygen (DO), dissolved oxygen demand (BOD5) was measured with an Extech multimeter. All of the physicochemical parameters were within the limits of the acceptable limits (WHO, EPA, and SON). As a result, both surface and interstitial water in Ibaka Creeks showed variations in its EC, TDS, pH, temperature, salinity, BOD5, and DO values. However, surface water recorded higher EC (30.04±0.19 µS/m) and TDS (29.87±0.18 mg/L) values, while interstitial water showed a higher pH value of 7.25±0.07 and lower temperature values of 27.94±0.09°C. The surface water had a higher salinity (0.64±0.15 ppt), BOD5 of 3.36mg/L and a DO value of 4.61mg/L than interstitial water. BOD and pH values were not significantly different between surface water and interstitial water (p>0.05). There were the highest values recorded in November for surface and interstitial water, except for BOD5 values, which were highest in December. The lowest temperatures and pH were recorded in February, while the lowest levels of oxygen were recorded in April. The salinity and BOD5 levels were also lowest in March, while electrical conductivity and TDS levels were lowest in February. In March, salinity and BOD5 were the lowest, while electrical conductivity and TDS were the lowest. The seasonal variation and anthropogenic influences were attributed to fluctuations in parameters across the months. To ensure the health of aquatic ecosystems and support sustainable management practices, continuous monitoring and assessment are essential.