Assessment of groundwater quality from some hostels around Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Abstract

Groundwater is regarded as a safe source of drinking water because it usually contains low microbial loads often requiring very little or no treatment before drinking. This study investigates water quality, health risks and the major factors controlling the water quality within the study area. From the results, the pH was acidic with a mean value of 5.646 ± 0.389 and an observed range of 5.02 to 6.35. Total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity concentrations were below the permissible limit of the World Health Organization (WHO). The presence of total and faecal coliforms bacteria in some of the boreholes strongly indicates likely microbial contamination and that pathogens may be present. The mean levels of heavy metals were in a decreasing order (mg/L) of Fe (0.323 ± 0.316) > Ni (0.088 ± 0.045) > Pb (0.079 ± 0.034) > Cr (0.06 ± 0.038) > Zn (0.048 ± 0.042) > Cu (0.031 ± 0.022). The levels of Cu, Cr, Fe, Pb and Ni exceeding the WHO limit suggest that groundwater from selected Hostels is unsuitable for drinking. Although most of the analysed heavy metals did not pose any severe health risks via ingestion route, HQdermal of Pb was >1 for children. The estimated hazard index of Cu, Ni, Cr, Pb, Fe and Zn via dermal and ingestion route were <1. Moreover, Cr surpassed the carcinogenic risk limit of 10−6 to 10−4. Multivariate analysis revealed three components accounting for 83.955% of the total variance in the groundwater samples. Principal component analysis revealed anthropogenic (i.e., agricultural and urban runoff) and geogenic activities as the possible sources of pollution within the study area. This study is significant for formulating the needed remediation plans to enhance water quality within the study area.