Efficacy of Ozone Bubbles in Disinfecting Underground Water in Okeijebu, Ikole Ekiti, Nigeria
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2023-05
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Journal of Basic Science and Technology
Abstract
The problem of potable water deficiency is becoming a global concern. The sixth of
the sustainable development goals (SDG) calls for eradicating open defecation and
ensuring that everyone has access to clean, affordable drinking water and to also
promote sustainable freshwater supply and abstraction as well as to enhance water
quality and water usage efficiency. The disinfecting process has been considered one
of the most important vital steps in underground water treatment. Ozone (O3) is one
of the disinfecting mechanisms used in groundwater to remove microorganisms,
inorganic ions, and organic pollutants from underground water samples. This study
is therefore focused on the assessment of the efficacy of ozone gas-based sterilization
on underground water in a university community of Federal University Oye Ekiti,
Ekiti State, Nigeria, and its environs where dependence on underground water is
prominent because of lack of access to pipe borne water. O3 was diffused through
water samples obtained by grabbed sampling method from different hand-dug wells
(HDW1-HDW8) in the community for multiple durations (05, 10, 15, and 20 min),
to determine the effectiveness of O3 in eliminating pathogens. Preliminary results
showed that the E-coli levels in HDW1-HDW8 range between 28 and 55 cfu per
100ml of water sample. Upon exposure to ozone, the E-coli levels reduced drastically
(0-8 cfu) at exposure times of 15- 20 minutes which conforms to the standard
stipulated by the WHO (0-3cfu) and NSQDW (0-10cfu). It concluded that the high
presence of E-coli in underground water sources in these communities requires
proper treatment before consumption to forestall waterborne diseases and death and
recommends the use of ozone for its treatment at an exposure rate of 20 minutes.