http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/3244 2026-04-23T07:43:55Z 2026-04-23T07:43:55Z Zango, M. S. Pelig-Ba, K. B. Anim-Gyampo, M. Gibrilla, A. Sunkari, E. D. http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/4326 2025-02-03T11:26:52Z 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: HYDROGEOCHEMICAL AND ISOTOPIC CONTROLS ON THE SOURCE OF FLUORIDE IN GROUNDWATER WITHIN THE VEA CATCHMENT, NORTHEASTERN GHANA Authors: Zango, M. S.; Pelig-Ba, K. B.; Anim-Gyampo, M.; Gibrilla, A.; Sunkari, E. D. Abstract: Groundwater consumption is considered as a major exposure route to fluoride in humans. Therefore, this study unraveled the sources and sinks of groundwater fluoride in the Vea catchment of northeastern Ghana using an integration of litho-petrography, hydrogeochemical analysis, multivariate statistical analysis, and stable isotope analysis. In this regard, 70 groundwater samples were collected from boreholes and analyzed for major ions and stable isotopes using standard procedures whilst 10 rock samples were collected from the crystalline basement rocks of the Birimian Supergroup and used for the petrographic studies. The petrographic results revealed the dominance of quartz, microcline, plagioclase (albite), biotite, muscovite and hornblende in the lithological units. The order of dominance of fluoride in the various lithologies is K-feldspar-rich granitoid > hornblende-biotite granitoid > basaltic flow > hornblende-biotite tonalite > hornblende biotite granodiorite > biotite granitoid. The groundwater fluoride concentrations varied from 0.35 to 3.95 mg/L with a mean concentration of 1.68 mg/ L. Almost 61% of the samples have fluoride concentrations above the World Health Organization's maximum permissible limit of 1.5 mg/L. Groundwater is supersaturated with respect to albite due to silicate weathering and undersaturated with respect to fluorite and calcite. This enhanced ion exchange and fluoride mobilization in the groundwater from progressive calcite precipitation. The fluoride concentrations show positive correlations with Na+, Mg2+, HCO3 −, and SO4 2−, confirming that fluoride enrichment is due to silicate weathering and ion exchange reactions. The δ 18O and δ 2H values with respect to V-SMOW vary between −4.15 and −2.75‰ and −22.49 and −13.74‰, respectively suggesting considerable isotopic variation of the groundwater. Enriched iso topic composition is observed with low fluoride concentration whilst depleted isotopic composition is observed with a higher concentration of fluoride in groundwater. The stable isotopic compositions of the groundwater also indicated meteoric origin with an evaporative effect, which partly influences the groundwater chemistry.

2020-01-01T00:00:00Z Amuah, E. E. Y. Bekoe, E. M. O. Kazapoe, R. W. Dankwa, P. Nandomaha, S. Douti, N. B. Abanyie, S. J. Okyere, I. K. http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/4246 2024-07-25T15:41:19Z 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: SACHET WATER QUALITY AND VENDORS’ PRACTICES IN DAMONGO, NORTHERN GHANA DURING THE EMERGENCE OF SARS-COV-2 USING MULTIVARIATE STATISTICS, WATER QUALITY AND POLLUTION INDICES, AND PANEL ASSESSMENT Authors: Amuah, E. E. Y.; Bekoe, E. M. O.; Kazapoe, R. W.; Dankwa, P.; Nandomaha, S.; Douti, N. B.; Abanyie, S. J.; Okyere, I. K. Abstract: The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 has affected several production services including the water production and delivery processes. This study considered sachet water quality during the advent of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic using multivariate statistics and Water Quality Index, Water Pollution Index and, hygienic and sanitation practices of sixty-two (62) sachet water vendors using a panel assessment approach. The findings showed that vendors did not adhere to proper hygienic practices as ninety-four (94%) of them did not have health clearance, ninety (90%) did not frequently wash their receptacles for selling daily, and most of them stored and sold in unhygienic environments. Majority of the producers violated Food and Drugs Authority Regulations. The Empirical Orthogonal Function analysis showed that total iron, Total Heterotrophic Bacteria, Salmonella, Cl−, E. coli, and fecal and total coliforms were the controlling elements in the water. All the brands were below threshold limits based on the physical water assessment. However, enteric bacteria were observed in all the brands. Water Quality and Water Pollution Indices (WQI and WPI) described all the sachet water brands (vendors and production sites) as excel lent for drinking. The WQI computations for samples from the production and vending sites respectively ranged from 0.12 to 0.36 and 0.27–0.42 whereas WPI presented 0.22–0.31 and 0.23–0.32. Comparatively, samples from vendors had elevated elemental concentrations and loads. This suggests that besides sachet water contamination during production and transportation, vendors significantly impacted the quality of sachet water. Sensitization on proper hygienic practices for sachet water production and vending and routine assessment of the quality of sachet water produced or sold is recommended.

2021-01-01T00:00:00Z Kazapoe, Raymond Webrah Arhin, Emmanuel Amuah, Ebenezer Ebo Yahans http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/4242 2024-07-25T15:18:22Z 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: KNOWN AND ANTICIPATED MEDICAL GEOLOGY ISSUES IN GHANA Authors: Kazapoe, Raymond Webrah; Arhin, Emmanuel; Amuah, Ebenezer Ebo Yahans Abstract: This paper aims to review the known and anticipated medical geology problems in Ghana, to highlight the impact of some trace elements on human health and to reveal some essential aspects of medical geology on health. Design/methodology/approach – Literature and empirical studies relating to medical geological issues in Ghana were reviewed. Secondary data were used in the present study such as case studies, reports, geological bulletins and published research studies. Findings – High levels of heavy metals including arsenic, cadmium and mercury in gold extraction processes through artisanal small-scale mining have contributed to high concentrations of toxic elements in the environment. The distribution and availability of these elements in the environment are facilitated by the geological, chemical and local environmental activities that are irregularly spread exposing people mining areas to pollutions. Exposures to these elements in above and below baseline levels contributed to health implications including fluorosis, intellectual or developmental disability and death in some regions of Ghana. Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases linked to mining activities were also presented in this study. Similarly, non-communicable diseases can affect many people if correct measures are not considered. Following the geometric increase in mining activities, it is anticipated that deleterious environmental and health impacts associated with mining may persist in mining areas in Ghana. Reported implications and continuous contamination of water bodies in mining areas could result in high pollution levels beyond treatment for human use or destroy aquatic habitats and aquatic lives through acid drainage. Above threshold concentrations of heavy metals in soils could bio-accumulate in crops, and this could pose deleterious public health implications on consumers. Continuous effects posed on the environment and public health may prompt communities, regulatory institutions and government to reduce or ban mineral development workers to devise preventive and therapeutic techniques to address many geology-related-health issues in Ghana.

2021-01-01T00:00:00Z Arhin, E. Kazapoe, R. W. Salami, F. http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/4119 2023-11-22T13:00:28Z 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: LINKING GEOLOGY TO THE PREVALENCE OF NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES: A CASE STUDY OF THE VOLTAIAN SEDIMENTARY BASIN, GHANA Authors: Arhin, E.; Kazapoe, R. W.; Salami, F. Abstract: Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this study was to define and outline areas prone to disease causing elements by analyzing the spatial distribution and concentration of toxic and essential elements in a section of the Voltaian sedimentary basin. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 2,668 soil samples were analysed by the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry technique and were re-appraised by comparing with baseline values of elements accepted globally to be in soils. The concentrations of arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe) and magnesium (Mg) were evaluated. Factor analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis multivariate techniques were used to identify the source patterns of the elements in the soils. The Getis-Ord Gi method was used to generate the optimised maps for these selected elements. These maps spatially defined and outlined high value clusters which imply potential pollution or areas with high background values (hotspots), whereas the low value clusters imply areas with low background values (cold-spots). Findings – The multivariate analysis supports a dominant geogenic source of these heavy elements with obvious influences from variably metamorphosed mafic–ultramafic rocks known to have contributed to the deposition of sediments in the basin. The hotspots for As were located around Nalerigu and to the east of Nawchugu. A Cr hotspot was located to the east of Nawchugu with Cr cold-spots located within Nalerigu and Yunyuo. Fe hotspots were observed to the south of Nalerigu and the east of Nawchugu with Fe cold-spots around Yunyuo, Bongo-Da and Nagbo. The spatial maps demonstrated the presence of toxic and deficient areas of all the selected elements used in the investigation. Therefore, it suggested the likely health implications depending on the exposed elements, their pathways and recommended the usefulness of using the results displayed in the spatial maps to guide in devising appropriate remediation techniques. Originality/value – This paper fulfils an identified need to study the distribution of elements and the possible effects it may have on the health and livelihoods of those residing in these areas.

2020-01-01T00:00:00Z