TITLE:
Integrated Analysis of Water Quality in Artificial Fishponds Using WQI and GIS in South-East Sierra Leone
AUTHORS:
Hadji D. S. Kallon, Lamin R. Mansaray, Misbah Fida, Pratap Sundar Shrestha
KEYWORDS:
Physicochemical Parameters, Water Quality Index, WQI-“Weighted Arithmetic Index Method”
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.12 No.1,
January
29,
2024
ABSTRACT: Artificial fishponds play a pivotal role in global
aquaculture, serving as a source of livelihood and nourishment for many
communities. Ensuring the sustained health and productivity of Fishes in these
environments relies heavily on water quality management. This assessment was
done to determine the water quality of ten artificial fishponds in the
south-eastern part of Sierra Leone using twelve physicochemical factors (pH,
BOD, EC, TDS, turbidity, COD, Fe2+, Mg2+, Ca2+,
NH3, , and alkalinity) to find out the Water Quality Index (WQI) and spatial
distribution of respective parameters. The assessment of artificial fishponds
using WQI and Inverse Distant Weighting (IDW) integration represents a
relatively underexplored area within the domain of environmental water
resources. The WQI was determined using the “Weighted Arithmetic Water Quality
Index’’ method. The results of WQI in the study area range from 65.05 to
147.26. Several locations have water quality deemed unsuitable for consumption,
while others range from good to very poor. It is essential to address and
improve water quality in locations categorized as unsuitable for consumption
and very poor to ensure safe and healthy water sources. It was also clear from
the calculation that the smaller the mean concentration value of the pH as
compared to the ideal value (7), the smaller the WQI value and the better the
water quality. To keep the artificial fishpond water in good condition, mass
domestic use should be controlled, and draining of surrounding organic matter
should be stopped in ponds Bo_001, Kenema_001, and Kenema_002.