https://doi.org/10.65770/BUTY5942
ABSTRACT
Calcium and magnesium are lithophile elements that play pivotal roles in groundwater composition and are essential for human health. Calcium, the most abundant mineral in the human body, plays a crucial role in bone and teeth formation, muscle activity, nerve impulse transmission, blood coagulation, cardiac function, and enzyme production. When combined with magnesium, it supports the proper functioning of the human heart. The aim of this work is to evaluate the content of Ca and Mg in shallow groundwater in parts of Okene and environs and to deduce if the level consumes meets the WHO daily recommended limits. Thirty-two groundwater samples were collected randomly spanning over an area of 35km2 and analyzed. The HACH DR 1900 Spectrophotometer was used to analyze sulphate, nitrate and phosphate. The BWB XP Flame Photometer was used to analyze sodium, potassium and calcium. Magnesium, chloride, bicarbonate was analyzed by titrimetric methods. Results showed that calcium ranged from 14.1mg/l to 210mg/l and magnesium ranged from 19.2mg/l to 105.6mg/l. The total hardness ranged from 114.27mg/l to 801.10mg/l and percentage total hardness ranged from 1.18% to 8.28%. Three primary rock types constitute the aquifers from which water is abstracted for drinking in the study area (gneiss, migmatite, and older granite), exhibiting variations in their contents of calcium and magnesium. Averagely, content of calcium and magnesium are higher in the migmatite compared to the other rock types. Generally, the total content of calcium in the groundwater do not meet the recommended daily intake of 1000 mg for an adult. Also, about 90% of the groundwater have adequate magnesium content, as daily recommended intake is 200 – 400 mg. With a few exceptions, most groundwater samples are within permissible limits and suitable for drinking purposes. The use of groundwater for drinking may assist in increasing the level of mineral nutrient uptake in the local population, however, it must also be augmented by foods rich in calcium and magnesium in order to satisfy normal human dietary requirements.
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