Chemical Profiling of Drinking Water Sources in Conflict-Affected Communities of Borno State

Prolonged armed conflict in Borno State, North East Nigeria, has displaced millions of people and severely disrupted water supply infrastructure, forcing communities to rely on unprotected surface water, hand-dug wells, and rehabilitated boreholes of uncertain water quality. This study conducted comprehensive chemical profiling of drinking water sources serving five internally displaced person camps and three host communities in Borno State. Samples were collected from all available source types and analysed for physicochemical parameters, major ions, trace metals, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, and faecal indicator organisms. Heavy metal concentrations including arsenic, chromium, barium, and fluoride were specifically targeted given their health significance. Fluoride concentrations in borehole sources ranged from 0.4 to 3.8 mg/L, exceeding the WHO limit of 1.5 mg/L in 40 percent of camp boreholes. Arsenic was detected in seven sources at concentrations up to 0.028 mg/L, above the WHO guideline of 0.01 mg/L. Nitrate was above the WHO limit in 28 percent of surface and shallow well sources. Hardness exceeded 500 mg/L in 22 percent of boreholes. Faecal coliform contamination was detected in 55 percent of surface water sources. Iron and manganese were above aesthetic guidelines in several rehabilitated boreholes, causing user rejection. These findings reveal a complex water quality situation in Borno State conflict-affected communities requiring multi-parameter management and highlight the inadequacy of rehabilitation projects that focus solely on microbiological safety without chemical characterisation.

Keywords: drinking water quality, conflict-affected communities, fluoride, arsenic, Borno State