Gold Mining Effects on Water Quality in Domenase and Nkotumso along River Offin, Upper Denkyira West District
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Date
2023
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West African Journal of Applied Ecology
Abstract
Artisanal gold mining (ASM) has been an important source of primary livelihood activity for poor populations
in Ghana. The sector now functions as a vital social safety-net and, in some cases, provides the only source of
of income in employment-constrained economies and helping copious poor households survive during
increasingly uncertain times. However, artisanal mining is linked to the release of heavy metals into the
mainstream environment, causing water pollution. In this study, heavy metals namely mercury (Hg), arsenic
(As), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb) and iron (Fe) were quantitatively analysed using PinAcle 900T Perkin
Elmer Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The samples were taken from the core water source area of
Domenase and Nkontomisa on the Offin River in the Upper Denkyira West District of the Central region
of Ghana. The decreasing trend of metals was observed in water as Hg > Pb > As > Mn >Fe, while the
average distribution of these heavy metals in water was 0.11, 0.02, 0.02, 0.122, and 0.184 mg/L, respectively.
Nkotumso. In Domenase, the decreasing trend of metals was observed in water as Pb > Hg > As > Fe >Mn.
and their averages were 0.028, 0.09, 0.018, 0,188, and 0.090 mg/L, respectively. The concentration of Hg, As, and
Pb in the water samples were above the WHO (2011) permissible limits, except Mn and Fe, which were below
the guideline limit. The pH range of 6.24-6.53 was noted for Nkotumso and 5.24-5.83 (strongly to moderately
acidic) for Domenase. The pH of water samples collected from Nkotumso was within WHO (2011) guideline
values, whereas the values of Domenase were not.
The results indicate that the water is not suitable for drinking or other domestic purposes, such as cooking, since
Heavy metals such as Hg, As, and Pb, which are known to be carcinogenic, were high. The study recommends
that continuous monitoring of Hg, As and Pb in the water and other aquatic biota of Nkotumso and Domenase
along the River Offin should be assessed to ensure the safety of the ecology in the vicinity of the river.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Heavy metals, Offin River, Water quality