Some physico-chemical and biological characteristics of soil and water samples of part of the Niger Delta area, Nigeria

Environmental conditions that influence biocorrosion in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria are investigated experimentally by analysing the physico-chemical and biological characteristics of four (4) soil samples and water samples taken from ten (10) selected river bodies in the region. Measured properties of the water samples and the corresponding results are pH (4.5 to 6.5), temperature (26.9 to 28.7 °C), electrical conductivity (18.9 to 156.4us/cm), turbidity (19 to 48NTU), redox potential (-372 to +202mV), TDS (78 to 8450mg/l), TOC (17.3 to 38.7mg/l), nitrate ions (6.1 to 17.0mg/l), sulphate ions (0.8 to 13.6mg/l), DO (4.1 to 5.7mg/l), and microbial population (10⁵ to 10⁶ cfu/ml), while those of the soil samples are water content (37 to 51%), organic matter (9.4 to 18.9% dry weight), nitrate ions (0.71 to 1.82 mg/l), sulphate ions (2.1 to 5.8 mg/l) and microbial population (10⁴ to 10⁶ cfu/g). It shown through comparison of experimental results with literature that the levels of the measured properties for both water and soil correspond to an environment that promotes biocorrosion.