Hydrogeochemical Assessment of Dumpsite Leachate Impact on Groundwater Quality in Igbatoro, Akure, Southwestern Nigeria

Hydrogeochemical Assessment of Dumpsite Leachate Impact on Groundwater Quality in Igbatoro, Akure, Southwestern Nigeria | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Hydrogeochemical Assessment of Dumpsite Leachate Impact on Groundwater Quality in Igbatoro, Akure, Southwestern Nigeria M. A JIMOH, R. A Yaqub, M.O ALUKO, E.O OGUNNUBI, S.I ODEMAKIN This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8798345/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 12 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This research examines the hydrogeochemical effects of leachate contamination on groundwater and surface water quality in the vicinity of the Igbatoro dumpsite in Akure, southwestern Nigeria. The study’s primary purpose was to assess the extent of physicochemical and bacteriological pollution resulting from improper waste disposal in a rapidly urbanising area. A grid sampling approach was employed to collect five water samples, consisting of four hand-dug wells and one surface water stream, at radial distances ranging from 197 m to 975 m from the landfill. These samples were analysed for various parameters using standard APHA methods and compared against the WHO and Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ) guidelines. Main findings revealed that groundwater is slightly acidic, with pH values (5.65–6.80) often falling below the permissible limit of 6.5–8.5. Elevated concentrations of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and Electrical Conductivity (EC) were observed, particularly in sample A5, which reached 901 mg/L and 1801 µs/cm, respectively. Most significantly, bacteriological analysis identified harmful pathogens, including faecal coliforms and Staphylococcus species, in multiple samples. Specifically, faecal coliform counts reached as high as 68 cfu/100mL, far exceeding the mandatory limit of 0 cfu/100mL. Statistical evaluations, including Principal Component Analysis (PCA), confirmed that leachate infiltration is the primary driver of ionic enrichment in the local aquifer. The study concludes that the Igbatoro dumpsite poses a significant threat to public health and the environment. It is recommended that the open dumpsite be replaced with an engineered sanitary landfill and that a minimum protective radius of 500 meters be maintained for future borehole development. Hydrological Effects Environmental Sustainability Dumpsite Pollution Bacteriological Parameters Physico-chemical analysis Waste Management Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 19 Mar, 2026 Reviews received at journal 17 Mar, 2026 Reviews received at journal 28 Feb, 2026 Reviews received at journal 27 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 26 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 25 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 25 Feb, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 25 Feb, 2026 Editor invited by journal 23 Feb, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 16 Feb, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 16 Feb, 2026 First submitted to journal 05 Feb, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8798345","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":598516754,"identity":"cb46e276-8894-4ff4-892e-7712c5b1d334","order_by":0,"name":"M. 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The study\u0026rsquo;s primary purpose was to assess the extent of physicochemical and bacteriological pollution resulting from improper waste disposal in a rapidly urbanising area.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA grid sampling approach was employed to collect five water samples, consisting of four hand-dug wells and one surface water stream, at radial distances ranging from 197 m to 975 m from the landfill. These samples were analysed for various parameters using standard APHA methods and compared against the WHO and Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ) guidelines.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMain findings revealed that groundwater is slightly acidic, with pH values (5.65\u0026ndash;6.80) often falling below the permissible limit of 6.5\u0026ndash;8.5. Elevated concentrations of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and Electrical Conductivity (EC) were observed, particularly in sample A5, which reached 901 mg/L and 1801 \u0026micro;s/cm, respectively. Most significantly, bacteriological analysis identified harmful pathogens, including faecal coliforms and Staphylococcus species, in multiple samples. Specifically, faecal coliform counts reached as high as 68 cfu/100mL, far exceeding the mandatory limit of 0 cfu/100mL. Statistical evaluations, including Principal Component Analysis (PCA), confirmed that leachate infiltration is the primary driver of ionic enrichment in the local aquifer.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study concludes that the Igbatoro dumpsite poses a significant threat to public health and the environment. It is recommended that the open dumpsite be replaced with an engineered sanitary landfill and that a minimum protective radius of 500 meters be maintained for future borehole development.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Hydrogeochemical Assessment of Dumpsite Leachate Impact on Groundwater Quality in Igbatoro, Akure, Southwestern Nigeria","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-03-02 08:14:23","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8798345/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-03-19T10:21:09+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-03-17T08:07:23+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-02-28T11:50:06+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-02-27T13:57:13+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"27709280713092621060749636051177379598","date":"2026-02-27T04:01:50+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"26826395109497205856786793658507480081","date":"2026-02-25T18:56:43+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"313762344931563697401643087622110452889","date":"2026-02-25T18:30:16+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-02-25T18:26:54+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2026-02-23T17:34:40+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-02-16T06:33:42+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-02-16T06:29:53+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Discover Geoscience","date":"2026-02-05T13:54:04+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-geoscience","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Geoscience](https://www.springer.com/journal/44288)","snPcode":"44288","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/44288","title":"Discover Geoscience","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"8d6ed43d-6df6-447c-8585-7aeb130c9292","owner":[],"postedDate":"March 2nd, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-16T08:54:42+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-03-02 08:14:23","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8798345","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8798345","identity":"rs-8798345","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}