ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METAL STATUS AND BACTERIA POPULATION IN MUNICIPAL BOREHOLE WATER IN LANDFILL AND NON-LANDFILL AREAS IN CALABAR MUNICIPALITY, CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA.

Landfill leachate are the major ground water pollutant that affect the quality of drinking water due to the seepage of toxic substance from E-wastes, house-hold wastes, mechanic wastes, other agricultural wastes etc. This study was aimed at assessing the status of heavy metal and bacteria population in municipal borehole water in landfill and non-landfill areas in Calabar. Twelve boreholes were sampled in the landfill areas such as Atimbo, Anantigha, Ibom layout and GOM (Goldie, Orok-Orok and Mount-Zion) while the other twelve boreholes were also sampled in the non-landfill areas in Atimbo, Anantigha, Ibom layout and GOM. The water samples were collected and analyzed for the presence of heavy metals and microbial load. The result for the presence of heavy metals shows that there were no significant difference (p>0.05) in the iron content of the borehole water samples in the landfill and non-landfill areas, while the manganese and ammonium content of the landfill areas were significantly (p<0.05) higher than that of the non-landfill areas. The result on the microbial analysis showed that the bacterial populations in the landfill borehole water samples were higher than those of the non-landfill areas. The following microorganisms were identified in the water samples Escherichia coli, Streptococcus sp, Salmonella sp, Shigella sp and Vibrio sp. However, the result of this study implies that borehole water samples in landfill areas are unsuitable for human consumption and occupant in landfill areas should avoid drinking water from these boreholes since it can interfere with the normal state of health.