Assessment Of Heavy Metals Contamination In Groundwater From Afigya Kwabre District, Ghana
  • Author(s): Victor Ofori Agyemang
  • Paper ID: 1701877
  • Page: 99-111
  • Published Date: 25-01-2020
  • Published In: Iconic Research And Engineering Journals
  • Publisher: IRE Journals
  • e-ISSN: 2456-8880
  • Volume/Issue: Volume 3 Issue 7 January-2020
Abstract

Forty (40) boreholes in the study area were sampled to study the heavy metals contamination in groundwater. The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of heavy metals on groundwater quality in the study area. Sampling of groundwater, samples analysis in the laboratory, Heavy metal pollution index, pollution evaluation index and statistical techniques were methods applied in the study. The study revealed that Fe > Mn > Pb = Cu > Cd is the order in which the concentrations of the heavy metals in the groundwater decreases. Lead and and iron show high mean concentration values as compare to the WHO (2012) recommended values. Assessment of human health risk by hazard quotient (HQ) and Hazard index revealed no alarm for non-carcinogenic adverse risk except three communities namely NkukuaBuoho (HQ = 2.5194, HI = 2.2251), Denase (HQ = 1.3856, HI = 2.5583) and Nkwantakesse 2 (HQ = 3.1994, HI = 3.2203). Again, in some of the samples, the cancer risk values were greater than 1.0 × 10−6, which shows the possibility of cancer risk occurrence after a longer period of using the groundwater for drinking without prior treatment. The study identified both geogenic and anthropogenic activities as the sources of heavy metal concentration in the groundwater. The correlation analysis showed that there are no strong correlations among the heavy metal pairs, suggesting different sources, independence and different behaviors during transport. The Cd, HPI, and HEI concentrations show that 10%, 17.5%, and 7.5% respectively as highly polluted due to the public sewage which is the main possible source in the study area

Keywords

Afigya Kwabre, Groundwater, Heavy metals, contamination

Citations

IRE Journals:
Victor Ofori Agyemang "Assessment Of Heavy Metals Contamination In Groundwater From Afigya Kwabre District, Ghana" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 3 Issue 7 2020 Page 99-111

IEEE:
Victor Ofori Agyemang "Assessment Of Heavy Metals Contamination In Groundwater From Afigya Kwabre District, Ghana" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 3(7)