The impact of irrigated agriculture on water quality of rivers Kongoni and Sirimon, Ewaso Ng'iro North Basin, Kenya
Department of Environmental Sciences, Kenyatta University, P. O. Box 43844, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya; Pwani University College, P. O. Box 195, 80180 Kilifi, Kenya
Mutisya, D.K., Department of Environmental Sciences, Kenyatta University, P. O. Box 43844, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya; Tole, M., Department of Environmental Sciences, Kenyatta University, P. O. Box 43844, 00100, Nairobi, Kenya, Pwani University College, P. O. Box 195, 80180 Kilifi, Kenya
This study aimed at determining the water quality of River Sirimon and River Kongoni, Ewaso Ng'iro North Basin, Kenya. Water quality analysis of these two rivers was done for a period of 5 months between November 2005 and February 2006. Portable Palintest equipment was used for the chemical analysis. The study established that there were sulphates concentrations of 22 mgL-1 in the Kongoni River water associated with the use of commercial fertilisers as compared to mean values of 7 mgL-1 along Sirimon River; phosphate concentrations were 1.3 mgL-1 in Kongoni and 0.15 mgL-1 in Sirimon and salinity 3 mgL-1 in Kongoni and 0.47 mgL-1 in Sirimon. On average, mean nitrates concentrations of 1.7 mgL-1 were recorded for Kongoni River, which were higher than those recorded for Sirimon River (0.033 mgL-1). These concentration levels were however within the standard levels set by WHO for example 50 mgL-1 for nitrates (WHO 2008). River Kongoni has two major irrigated horticultural farms across it which were likely polluting the river during the time of this study. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
Concentration levels; Fertilisers; Irrigated agriculture; Kenya; Kongoni and Sirimon rivers; Mean values; Palintest; Phosphate concentration; River water; Sulphates; Water quality analysis; Chemical equipment; Concentration (process); Fertilizers; Irrigation; Nitrogen compounds; Pollution; Quality control; Rivers; Water quality; River pollution; ammonia; fertilizer; manganese; nitrate; nitrite; river water; sulfate; agriculture; chemical analysis; concentration (composition); fertilizer; horticulture; irrigation; nitrate; phosphate; river water; sulfate; water quality; article; concentration (parameters); controlled study; environmental impact assessment; fertilizer application; irrigation (agriculture); Kenya; river basin; river ecosystem; salinity; trend study; waste disposal; water analysis; water contamination; water pollutant; water quality; water standard; world health organization; Kenya; Ngiro River