Abstract
Geogenic and anthropogenic activities introduce certain metals into the environment which tend to deteriorate the quality of both surface and groundwater in the Bosomtwe Crater Lake and its surroundings. In this study spatio-temporal variations in concentrations and risk assessment of selected trace metals (As, Fe, Pb, Zn, Cr, Cd and Ni) were investigated during the wet and dry seasons for surface and groundwater in selected human settlements around the lake. The levels of As, Cd and Ni were generally small and were below the detection limit of the instrument. The results showed no significant seasonal variations in the mean levels of Pb, Fe, Zn and Cr in water from the Bosomtwe Crater Lake. The hazard quotients and health hazard indices through ingestion and dermal contact of lake and groundwater in towns around the lake for both adults and children gave values which were below the acceptable limit of less than unity (< 1), indicating the absence of non-carcinogenic health risk to the communities. The study however reveals that ingestion of both lake and groundwater from the lake and its surroundings poses carcinogenic risk with regard to the level of Pb and Cr. Hence appropriate control measures and interventions should be put in place to protect the health of the human population in the study area.
Highlights
Contamination of surface and groundwater by trace metals results in the deterioration of water quality which affect human health as well as the health of aquatic ecosystem (Krishna et al 2009; Bataynen 2012)
The values show that the water from the lake in the dry season is alkaline with the pH values above the recommended World Health Organization (WHO) standards of 6.50–8.50
The results show that Pb and Cr exhibited ranges of carcinogenic indices exceeding 10−6 for both lake and groundwater for both adults and children for both seasons
Summary
Contamination of surface and groundwater by trace metals results in the deterioration of water quality which affect human health as well as the health of aquatic ecosystem (Krishna et al 2009; Bataynen 2012). Though some trace metals in lower concentrations play important roles in metabolic processes of living organisms, high concentration have been observed to be toxic for human and aquatic life (Ouyang et al 2002; Adepoju-Bello et al 2009). High concentration of trace metals in water sources may lead to adverse effects such as deformities, cancer and bad health of aquatic animals. In humans trace metals above certain concentrations may lead to health problems including liver diseases, kidney problems and Geno toxic carcinogens (Knight et al 1997; Gambrell 1994). Trace metals enter the human body through several routes such as food chain, direct ingestion, dermal contact, fume inhalation and particles through mouth and nose (Li and Zhang 2010; Wu et al 2009; USEPA 1989, 2004)
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