Impact of runoff on pH levels and concentration of nutrients in surface water stream of Kibimba rice scheme.
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Date
2026
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Busitema University
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of agricultural runoff on the pH levels and nutrient concentration in surface water within the kibimba rice scheme overflow stream in Bugiri district, Uganda. The increasing use of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and agrochemicals has raised the concerns about nutrient enrichment and water quality deteriorations in surrounding water bodies.
Water samples were obtained from three sampling sites along the stream : upstream, the middle stream and the lower stream and were analyzed using the JEN WAY Geneva plus model 6705 UV-Visible spectrometer set wave length of 880nm for the concentration of phosphates and at 220nm for the nitrate concentration. The study found out that the concentration of nitrate at all sampling sites were above the standard which therefore showed that the level of pollution by the nitrates were high. For phosphate the concentration of the nitrates at the upstream and lower stream were below the standard while that at the upstream was slightly above the relative standard concentration.
The pH of the water from all the three sites was seen to be with in the standard limit of 6.0-8.5. The study concluded that water from the surrounding of kibimba rice scheme is not good for consumption because of the high concentrations of nitrate at all the three sampling sites and phosphates at middle stream. Due to this, there is need for policy makers and other stakeholders to regulate nutrient pollution in water sources around kibimba rice scheme.
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Undergraduate research report
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Citation
Kaneene, B. (2026). Impact of runoff on pH levels and concentration of nutrients in surface water stream of Kibimba rice scheme. [Unpublished undergraduate research report]. Busitema University.