Environmental health impacts and controlling measures of anthropogenic activities on groundwater quality in Southwestern Nigeria

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol. 194; no. 5; p. 384
• Main Authors: Balogun, Mujeeb Adeyemi, Anumah, Abdulraheem Okehi, Adegoke, Kayode Adesina, Maxakato, Nobanathi Wendy
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.05.2022; Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
• Subjects: Anthropogenic activities; Anthropogenic activity; Anthropogenic Effects; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Contamination; Daily activity; Drinking Water; Drinking Water - analysis; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Health; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental Science (all); Environmental sciences & ecology; Environmental-health impact; Groundwater; groundwater contamination; Groundwater quality; Humans; Industrialisation; industrialization; Life sciences; Male; Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Nigeria; Pollution; Public health; Sciences de l’environnement & écologie; Sciences du vivant; Southwest Nigeria; Southwestern nigeria; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Quality; Water quality and monitoring; Water source; Nigeria; Water quality and monitoring; Southwest Nigeria; Groundwater; Anthropogenic activities; Contamination; Public health
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-09805-z

Groundwater is the major source of drinking water in virtually all the regions of Nigeria, including the southwestern region. It is an indispensable source of drinking water that many individuals are dependent upon for daily activities in Nigeria. However, the spontaneous rise in various forms of industrialization and other anthropogenic activities of man within the southwestern region has immensely polluted these water sources. This calls for tremendous and actionable concern because of the health implications associated with the intake of contaminated water. This study aims to thoroughly disentangle the major impacts of anthropogenic activities on the quality of groundwater in the southwestern region of Nigeria through extensive reviews of literature and conceptualization of scientific and research data on the field. Unlike previous reviews, the major sources of groundwater pollution in the region were discussed extensively to set the tone for the x-raying of the subject. The study also showed major long-standing pollution cases in the region with graphical, tabular, and pictorial illustrations of some of the groundwater parameters and at the same time proposed controlling measures to enable eidetic understanding of the concepts and contribution to knowledge. In the last part of the work, we recommend improving the existing groundwater assessment techniques in Southwestern Nigeria. Regular monitoring of groundwater in Nigeria should also be encouraged to establish its quality status. Graphical abstract