The Status of Surface Water in Linden and Coastal Guyana

Abstract

The status of surface water was determined for several selected areas of coastal Guyana. These were Linden, Cane Grove, Botanical Gardens, Non-Pariel, Utvlugt, Turkeyen and No. 62 village. Both physio-chemical properties and the concentration of cation and anion in mg/L were determined. The physical properties determined were temperature, pH, Turbidity, EC, Total dissolved solids, TDS. The pH range from 5.01 ± 0.01 to 6.17 ± 0.02, whereas EC (μs) and TDS (mg/L) was found to range from (26.7 ± 0.26 μs to 484 ± 1.15μs) and (18.7 ± 0.15 mg/L to 343 ± 4.36 mg/L). Dissolved oxygen content (DO) range from (1.0 ± 0.0 mg/L to 5.0 ± 0.0 mg/L), whereas salinity varied from 12.5 ± 0.05 ppm to 233.0 ± 0.1 ppm. All these physical factors with the exception of Turbidity and EC at No. 62 village were below WHO standards. With respect to the cations, there was no detection for cadmium in any of the surface water, with the exception of Cane Grove Surface water, which registered a value of 0.47 ± 0.03 mg/L. There was no detection for Pb, in any of the surface water. Aluminum detection range from (0.2 ± 0.03 mg/L to 0.43 ± 0.03 mg/L). Fe detection range from 0.01 ± 0.002 mg/L to 0.07 ± 0.03 mg/L. Cu detection was found to be constant at 0.01 ± 0.02 mg/L for all Surface water, whereas Zn showed detection in the range (0.04 ± 0.03 mg/L to 0.17 ± 0.03 mg/L). With respect to anions, there was no detection for nitrate, whereas SO₄^3- and PO₄^3- detection was found in the range (2.93 ± 0.02 mg/L to 20 ± 1.53 mg/L) and (0.06 ± 0.011 mg/L) to 1.10 ± 0.01 mg/L) respectively.  All cations concentration, were below WHO standards. For the anions, only chloride at No. 62 village surface water was above WHO standards.