Abstract
The study assessed levels of heavy metals in drinking water sources in two small-scale mining communities (Nangodi and Tinga) in northern Ghana. Seventy-two (72) water samples were collected from boreholes, hand dug wells, dug-out, and a stream in the two mining communities. The levels of mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and cadmium (Cd) were determined using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). Mean levels (mg/l) of heavy metals in water samples from Nangodi and Tinga communities were 0.038 and 0.064 (Hg), 0.031 and 0.002 (As), 0.250 and 0.031 (Pb), 0.034 and 0.002 (Zn), and 0.534 and 0.023 (Cd), respectively, for each community. Generally, levels of Hg, As, Pb, Zn, and Cd in water from Nangodi exceeded the World Health Organisation (WHO) stipulated limits of 0.010 for Hg, As, and Pb, 3.0 for Zn and 0.003 for Cd for drinking water, and levels of Hg, Pb, and Cd recorded in Tinga, exceeded the stipulated WHO limits. Ingestion of water, containing elevated levels of Hg, As, and Cd by residents in these mining communities may pose significant health risks. Continuous monitoring of the quality of drinking water sources in these two communities is recommended.
Highlights
Water supply systems and drinking water inaccessibility in developing countries is a global concern that calls for immediate action
Continuous monitoring of the quality of drinking water sources in these two communities is recommended
The study assessed the concentrations of mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and cadmium (Cd) obtained from surface and ground water bodies used for drinking and other domestic chores in Nangodi and Tinga in northern Ghana
Summary
Water supply systems and drinking water inaccessibility in developing countries is a global concern that calls for immediate action. Heavy metals exist as natural constituents of the earth crust and are persistent environmental contaminants, because they cannot be degraded or destroyed [3,4] Whilst these elements occur naturally they are often bound up in inert compounds. Water related diseases can often be attributed to exposure to elevated heavy metal concentrations of both organic and inorganic contaminants Many of these compounds exist naturally, but their concentration has increased as a result of anthropogenic activities [6]. Amalgamation of gold [17] In such instances, these tailings are exposed to the elements and can be weathered, releasing toxic metals into the soil, adjacent water bodies and, groundwater. There is a paucity of information on the impact of artisanal gold mining on sources of drinking water in the northern parts of Ghana. The main thrust of this study was to (1) investigate the levels of heavy metals such as As, Hg, Cd, Zn, and Pb in Tinga and Nangodi mining communities, and (2) undertake a comparative assessment of the levels of the aforementioned toxic chemicals whose health effect has rarely been investigated
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