Global Journal of Science Frontier Research, H: Environment & Earth Science, Volume 23 Issue 1

up to 1000 m thick (Schoeneich, 2001). Today, there is a global concern about pollution as the major causes of ill health where the state of the water is control by its migration characteristic and temperature gradients. The simplest classification of water is based on the total concentration of dissolved solids measured in milligram per liter (mg/l). Water is considered to be polluted when it is not suitable for specified purpose. Thus, the quality of water varies with use to which it is put. Domestic waste and industrial activities are the major sources of water pollution, though pollutants may also enter water through air and oil migration. Generally therefore, the nature of polluted water will depend very much on the area in which it is located (Eduvie, 1991). The effects of pollution in water include color change, alteration of pH, alteration of amount of free solids, the level of biochemical and chemical oxygen demands. The above changes have critical effects on life processes (Sani, 2016). According to (WHO, 2020) water once polluted, becomes poisonous to aquatic plants and animals and the successive ecosystem either directly or as a results of the food chainthe ingest the pollutants and gradually accumulate same in their bodies to the point of being toxic and in extreme cases may causes death. Extensive research conducted in various parts of the world such as Hem (1985), Okagbue (1988) and Todd (1980) have documented a large body of inorganic elements which so far are considered essential in human nutrition and play vital roles as structural and functional components of metalloproteinase and enzymes in cellular processes. This paper attempts to look into the major elemental concentration of the various water sources in three communities located within the Nigerian sector of Chad Basin with the aim of assessing their chemistry and suitability for domestic, animal and small scale irrigation purposes. II. T opography and D rainage The study area is generally featureless characterized by flat alluvial Holocene landmass, with scanty outcrops of Pleistocene Chad Formation, which gently dips northeast towards Lake Chad. The only features which break the flat terrain are sand dunes in the north west part of the study area as well as the 260 km long and 5 - 6 metre high prominent sand ridge named “Bama Ridge,” considered to be formed at the shore of Mega – Chad Lake in the early Holocene, some 10,000 years ago (Zarma et al, 2015). In essence, the Bama Ridge separates flat depositional land in the north east from slightly undulating erosional surface in the south west. As observed from this study, Bama Ridge may have tectonic predisposition. The sand dunes occupy mostly Gudumbali, Kukawa, Ngazai, and Damasck. Hummocky type of sand dunes with high topographic elevation is also found close to Geidam as observed during the field work. The inter-dunal valleys were covered by clay beds with the sand ridge traceable to about 40 km in west and southwest of the study area. The ridges are clearly seen around Gubio, Magumeri, Maiduguri and towards Bama it extend to Banki area within the study area. The ridge is probably an ancient Holocene shoreline of the Lake Chad which dip at an angle of 5 0 (Zarma et al, 2015). The drainage system of the area is characterized by the Hadeja-Yobe River System and the Ngadda, Yedseram and Komadugu-Gana River System all flowing toward Lake Chad. Most of these rivers are influent streams that end in inland deltas (Figure 2). None of the rivers is perennial or effluent in nature and most of them flows into marshy area on the plain and disappear by evapotranspiration before reaching Lake Chad. However, the Komadugu-Yobe in the northwest and the Yedseram River to the southeast are relatively large rivers that discharge into Lake Chad during the wet season. In the northern part of the study area, the Komadugu-Yobe passes through the sand dunes in a narrow flood plain which is marked by larger alluvial tracks on the inner bends of the river. Flooding of these tracks by the overflow from the river creates permanent marshy lands. Although near Lake Chad, the flood plain fans out in several tributaries with scattered marshy areas and Cut-off River meanders. The Komadugu-Yobe River begins to flow in June or July and reaches its peak discharge in August and October. After the wet season, discharge from Komadugu, Yedzaram and Ngadda decreases rapidly with patch of pools of water remaining in the main stream channels. The Komadugu Goma River joins the River Goa as a tributary to River Forunduma which joined River Forunduma Gana as tributaries and finally empties its water into the Lake Chad. River Kaha and River Dorma are also part of tributaries to River Forunduma which empties its water into Lake Chad (Figure 2). The Yedseram River which flows through Bama has a relatively small catchment area its flow, which is seasonal usually begins in July at the Bama area because of long distance of the river meander channels flowing from Republic of Cameroun through Adamawa State before reaching Bama area and ceases to flow by December. The river breaks up into a series of braided channels and deltas flowing across the extensive fadama around Dikwa, Marte and Monguno area and finally emptying into Lake Chad (Fig: 2). Hydrochemical Assessment of Surface and Groundwater in Some Selected Communities of Borno and Yobe State © 2023 Global Journals 1 Year 2023 56 Global Journal of Science Frontier Research Volume XXIII Issue ersion I VI ( H )