Impact of Artisanal Crude Oil Refining Effluents on Interstitial Water at a Mangrove Wetland, Asari-Toru Axis of Sombreiro River, Rivers State.

A comparative study on the water quality of the interstitial water of two creeks in Rivers State was conducted. Temperature, pH, Conductivity, Dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, Salinity, and Total dissolved solid were checked with an in-situ hand-held multi-meter (The EZODO Multi-meter). Dissolved oxygen (DO) was measured with a Milwaukee Dissolved oxygen meter while Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) was determined by the 5-day BOD test (APHA, 2005). The temperature ranged between 28.3 to 29.3℃ in the Opro-ama creek and 26.0 -26.8℃ in Buguma creek. The pH value ranged from 6.2 to 6.8 in Opro-ama creek while that of Sa-ama creek was between 6.8 and 6.99. Salinity ranges from 9.1 to 9.5 (ppt) in the Opro-ama creek while Sa-ama creek recorded a range between 11.2 to 12.0 (ppt). The dissolved oxygen was between 1.5 and 2.3 (µS/cm) in Okpoka creek meanwhile Sa-ama creek varied between 4.6 and 4.10 (µS/cm). The biochemical oxygen demand values were between 1.4 to 2.3 (µS/cm) in Opro-ama creek while that of Sa-ama was between 1.9 to 2.4 (µS/cm). The conductivity values for the Opro-ama creek were between 10.3 and 10.6 while Sa-ama creek recorded a value of 12.5 to12.6 (µS/cm). there were significant variations (P