Potential heavy metal pollution of soil and water resources from artisanal mining in Kokoteasua, Ghana
| Autor: | Emmanuel Kwame Appiah-Adjei, Ebenezer Gyamfi, Kwaku Amaning Adjei |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
Pollution
Environmental Engineering business.industry media_common.quotation_subject 0208 environmental biotechnology Geography Planning and Development Environmental engineering Water supply 02 engineering and technology 010501 environmental sciences Artisanal mining 01 natural sciences Soil contamination 020801 environmental engineering Water resources Environmental Chemistry Environmental science Water quality business Effluent Groundwater 0105 earth and related environmental sciences Water Science and Technology media_common |
| Zdroj: | Groundwater for Sustainable Development. 8:450-456 |
| ISSN: | 2352-801X |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.gsd.2019.01.007 |
| Popis: | Effluents and mine waste from artisanal mining in Kokoteasua, a community in Ghana, are discharged directly to the environment without prior treatment and have the potential of polluting the soil and water resources that the populace rely on for their daily water need. Therefore, this study has assessed the impact of the artisanal mining activities on the soil and water resources in the community. The method employed involved mapping the water supply points in the community and sampling the water supply points and the soil (at 20 cm and 40 cm depths) to determine their heavy metal levels (i.e. Fe, Pb, Zn, As, Mn, Cu, and Hg). The water quality was assessed using the World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline values for drinking water while pollution indices were used to evaluate the levels of soil pollution. The results, generally, indicated that groundwater in the community is potable but unsuitable for drinking in isolated locations due to high levels of As and Zn. The stream, however, recorded high levels of Mn, Fe, and pH above the acceptable WHO drinking water guidelines. Again, the study found the soil to be extremely polluted with all the measured heavy metals (except Hg) from contamination factor, enrichment factor, geo-accumulation index and pollution load index assessments. Thus, the artisanal mining needs to be regulated to protect the water resource and soil from further pollution. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|
Full Text from ScienceDirect