Determination of arsenic in some water bodies, untreated ore and tailing samples at Konongo in the Ashanti region of Ghana and its surrounding towns and villages by instrumental neutron activation analysis

Abstract

Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) has been employed forthe determination of arsenic in samples of water bodies at Konongo an oldmining town in the Ashanti region of Ghana and its surrounding towns and villages.In some of the water samples, significant levels of arsenic were recordedbut others gave no indication of the metal. The precision and accuracy ofthe method was evaluated using real ore samples and standard reference materials.The accuracy of the method was found to be within ±6%. The averagearsenic levels found in the water samples ranged between 0.04 and 12.2 mg/l.Untreated ore and tailing samples were also analysed for arsenic. The surfaceore gave an arsenic concentration of 4,628±97 ppm while that of thebottom ore was 2,978±69 ppm. For the tailing samples, the range ofarsenic level was 1,776 to 1,787 ppm. It was observed that the upper sink(i.e., the surface portion of the ore) showed higher levels of arsenic thanthe lower one (i.e., bottom portion of the ore).