The Environmental Impact of Etelebou Flow Station in Surface Water of Gbarain, Bayelsa State, Nigeria - The Environmental Impact of Etelebou Flow Station in Surface Water of Gbarain, Bayelsa State, Nigeria - Open Access Pub

Environmental impact of anthropogenic activities from industrial sources, have become a threat to biodiversity. Water samples were collected from rivers around the flow station, and analysed from some physicochemical parameters and hydrocarbon contents. Result of the physicochemistry was reported for: pH (6.58± 0.04 - 6.76±0.01), conductivity (168.30±13.98 - 194.57±3.78 μS/cm), conductivity 8.29±0.04 - 10.66±0.02 NTU, salinity (0.07±0.00 - 0.09± 0.00 mg/l), and Total Solids (83.96±1.49 - 103.66±0.60mg/l). Other elemental analysis includes: sulphates (2.43±0.01 - 4.28 ±0.02 mg/l), nitrates (0.19±0.01 - 0.28±0.01 mg/l), carbonates (1.14±0.07 - 2.06±0.07 mg/l), calcium (8.45±0.10 - 11.70±0.25 mg/l), magnesium (1.14±0.07 - 2.56±0.03 mg/l), and sodium (4.37±0.15 - 5.62±0.03 mg/l). The values of THC and TPH were 0.92±0.08 - 1.51±0.03, and 0.37±0.13 - 0.76±0.07 mg/l respectively. Generally, the result indicated mild level of contamination in terms of Hydrocarbon contents. However, diagnostic data emerging for physicochemistry and some elemental property indicates the water is unfit for consumption. Notwithstanding, the order on contamination were reported as; downstream > midstream > upstream. Therefore this study concludes that there should be frequent monitoring of the recipient water bodies associated with the flow station in order to check anthropogenic activities, and conserve biodiversity. DOI10.14302/issn.2637-6075.jpae-18-2336 Over the past decades, the problems posed by Hydrocarbon contamination have become a source of concern. Environmental pollution have adversely affected all forms of biodiversity, infringing on the ambient quality of the abiotic environment such as; soil water and air 1. As established in literature, consistent exploration of hydrocarbon have incured rapid decline of biodiversity 2. Statistically, it was reported that Nigeria have recorded over 4000 hydrocarbon spill between 1976 and 1996. In Akwa Ibom, incident of oil spill was quantified to be over 1000000 barrel, posing grave consequences to the coastal environment 3. Hydrocarbon or crude oil is a homogenous fluid substance with carbon as its massive substantial component. Notwithstanding, the origin of hydrocarbon dwells on two school of thought, being the abiotic theory and the biotic or biogenic theory. The formal believes crude oil originated from inorganic substances, while the latter adduce its origin to anaerobic decomposition of organic matter. As established by Obuasi 4, the biogenic theory was able to prove the presence of porphyrins as a biomarkers of chlorophyll, in