Physico-Chemical and Bacterial Characteristics of Groundwater and Surface Water Quality in the Lagbe Town: Treatment Essays with Moringa oleifera Seeds

K. Jacques Fatombi, T. Angèle Ahoyo, Odilon Nonfodji, Taofiki Aminou

Laboratoire d’Expertise et de Recherche en Chimie de l’Eau et de l’Environnement (LERCEE), Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Bénin.
Laboratoire de Diagnostique et d’Analyses Biomédicales (DIMED), Ecole Polytechnique d’Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Bénin.

DOI: 10.4236/jwarp.2012.412116                

Abstract

The river water and groundwater from Lagbe town in Benin Republic were collected and analyzed for physical, chemical and microbiological parameters. The surface water samples were treated with alum, Moringa oleifera seeds powder and the combination of alum and Moringa oleifera seeds. The jar-test essays were carried out with two water samples at initial turbidities 7.2 NTU and 14.4 NTU. The water samples analyzed are fairly mineralized (conductivity varies between 166 and 687 μS/cm), enough soft and contain the nitrate (104 mg/L for W₄ sample). They are greatly polluted by pathogenic microorganisms such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Enterococcus, Vibrio, Serratia. The optimal dosages of Moringa are 96 mg/L and 80 mg/L respectively. We have observed a reduction of 60% of turbidity and a substantial remove of all pathogenic microorganisms after water treatment with Moringa oleifera seeds. For the combination treatment, 93% of initial turbidity and 92% of initial concentration of organic matter in the sample E₂ were eliminated. The pH remained almost constant during the treatment.

Keywords

Groundwater; Surface Water; Moringa oleifera; Water Treatment; Physic; Chemical; Bacterial Characteristics

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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