Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution in Pece Channelized Stream Water Gulu Town, Northern-Uganda

ABSTRACT

Water quality monitoring in developing countries is inadequate, especially in stream water affected by urban effluents and runoff. The purpose of this study was to investigate heavy metal contaminants in the Pece Stream water in Gulu Municipality, Northern-Uganda. Water samples were collected along the channel of Pece stream and other samples from Nakaseke River which served as a control site. Selected heavy metals (Zinc, Copper, Lead and Cadmium) were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. Sampling of water was done during the dry and the wet seasons of the years 2011 and 2012, respectively. Physicochemical parameters were also determined for Electrical conductivity, pH, hardness of water, Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD). Results indicate that heavy metal concentrations in Pece stream water were significant. The mean concentration of Zinc ranged between 0.64 ± 0.0040 and 0.78 ± 0.0095. Copper gave mean total concentrations between O.0880±0.0054mg1’ and 0.0420±0.0072mg/i during the two consecutive years of the study. All these values obtained for Zn and Cu were within the maximum permissible limits of WHO (2008), NEMA (2006) and USEPA (2005). The total lead concentrations in the samples were