Abstract
The concentration and bioaccessibility of potentially toxic metals, including As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn, were determined in surface soil samples from a mining community (Kenyasi) and a non-mining community (Sunyani) in Ghana, to investigate the contribution of mining activities to the environmental burden of potentially toxic metals. The study found significant differences in metal concentrations (p < 0.05) in As, Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, and Zn, but no significant difference (p > 0.05) in Pb and Cr between the two communities. The study found a moderate correlation between pH and metal concentrations in the mining community and a moderate positive correlation with As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn in the non-mining community. The distribution pattern revealed elevated levels of toxic metals in the southeastern corridor of the mining community, which is close to a gold mine. Most heavy metals were concentrated in the commercial community’s southern zone, with more residents and private elementary schools. Metal bioaccessibility was variable, and except for Cu and Zn, the mean bioaccessibility was less than 50% for a given metal. Contamination factor, geoaccumulation index, and soil enrichment factor suggested very high contamination of Cd, and a considerable to moderate contamination of As, Ni, Zn, and Cu at both the mining and non-mining communities. The above observations and the pollution and risk indices employed in this study confirmed that the mining community was more polluted (PLI = 2.145) than the non-mining community (PLI = 1.372). The total metal hazard (HI) exceeded thresholds by three and four times at non-mining and mining sites. Regular monitoring is necessary, especially in the mining community, to prevent soil metal accumulation.
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Data are available upon request to the corresponding author.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the Royal Roads University, Victoria, Canada, for funding Matt Dodd’s trips to Ghana and the Sheathe Project (www.sheathe.org) for lab space and instrumentation.
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Matt Dodd and Godfred Darko conceptualized the study, while Benjamin Darko Asamoah and Lily Lisa Yevugah conducted the fieldwork and map work, respectively. Benjamin Darko Asamoah, Matt Dodd, and Godfred Darko worked in the lab on various aspects of the project, such as data and statistical analysis. Marian Asantewah Nkansah and Alexander Boateng also contributed to the team's data analysis efforts. Benjamin Darko Asamoah, Godfred Darko, and Marian Asantewah Nkansah collaborated on the drafting process, and all authors contributed to proofreading the final manuscript.
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Asamoah, B.D., Dodd, M., Yevugah, L.L. et al. Distribution and in-vitro bioaccessibility of potentially toxic metals in surface soils from a mining and a non-mining community in Ghana: implications for human health. Environ Geochem Health 45, 9875–9889 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-023-01776-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-023-01776-5