Source Assessment and Analysis of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH’s) in the Oblogo Waste Disposal Sites and Some Water Bodies in and around the Accra Metropolis of Ghana

David Kofi Essumang,Christian Kweku Adokoh,Joseph Afriyie,Esther Mensah

doi:10.4236/jwarp.2009.16055

Abstract

The study looked at the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in leachates from a solid waste disposal site and an effluent from an oil refinery in some water bodies around Accra. Sixteen (PAHs) were extracted simultaneously by solid phase and analysis by gas chromatograph. The results of this study gener-ally demonstrated that there were elevated levels of PAHs in the water sample of the Densu River, Chemu, Korle and Kpeshi Lagoons. The average concentration of PAHs in the water ranged from 0.000 of many of the PAHs to 0.552µg/L, for Acenapththene to 11.399µg/L for Benzo (ghi) perylene of the Chemu Lagoon, 0.00µg/L for Benzo (a) Pyrene to 8.800µg/L for Benzo (ghi) perylene (Korle Lagoon) and 0.052µg/L for Pyrene to 4.703ug/L for Acenaphthylene of the Kpeshi Lagoon and 0.00µg/L for pyrene to Acenaphthylene 2.926µg/L of the Weija Dam. Concentrations ranging from below detection level to 14.587µg/L were also recorded at the Oblogo solid waste dump and it’s environ. The Weija dam supply over two million gallons of portable water daily to the people of Accra and the levels of the PAH determined is worrying, as a result, the Oblogoh disposal site ought to be re-located to avert any possible epidemic.

Highlights

The disposal of wastes by land filling or land spreading is the ultimate fate of all solid wastes, whether they are residential wastes collected and transported directly to a landfill site, residual materials from materials recovery facilities (MRFs), residue from the combustion of solid waste, compost or other substances from various solid waste processing facilities
The results of this study generally demonstrated that there were elevated levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the water sample of the Densu River, Chemu, Korle and Kpeshi Lagoons
Results obtained from the study clearly demonstrated that the leach from Oblogo solid waste disposal site and its environs as well as Chemu, Korle and Kpeshi Lagoons are polluted by Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons with concentration ranging from below detection level to 14.587μg/L

Summary

Introduction

The disposal of wastes by land filling or land spreading is the ultimate fate of all solid wastes, whether they are residential wastes collected and transported directly to a landfill site, residual materials from materials recovery facilities (MRFs), residue from the combustion of solid waste, compost or other substances from various solid waste processing facilities. Disposing of solid waste in open dumps and burning of such solid waste, is the most common solid waste disposal method in Ghana. Open dump and burning of their content which is a health hazard, is not an acceptable method of solid waste disposal and must be discouraged. Solid waste includes domestic refuse and discarded solid materials such as those from commercial, industrial and agricultural operations. They contain increasing amount of paper, cardboards, plastics, glass, packing materials and toxic substances

Methods

Results

Conclusion