Adjei Lois Pokuaa, Arthur Emmanuel Kwesi, Gikunoo Emmanuel, Foli Gordon, Quaye-Ballard Jonathan Arthur, Agyemang Frank Ofori, Nsiah-Gyambibi Rapheal, Baah Douglas Siaw
Department of Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, PMB, UPO, Kumasi, Ghana.
Department of Geological Engineering, College of Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, PMB, UPO, Kumasi, Ghana.
Environ Monit Assess. 2023 Mar 17;195(4):482. doi: 10.1007/s10661-023-11037-8.
Improper discharge of cassava mill effluent (CME) has attracted much attention in major cassava-producing areas due to cyanide contamination. This study conducted a target survey on inhabitants and processors of the Akrofrom-Techiman cassava processing area in Ghana that aimed to assess their knowledge and perception of cyanide contamination from the CME discharge. The study further examined the effect of CME on the soil and groundwater at the processing area using physicochemical and bacteriological characterizations. Results revealed that inhabitants and processors exhibited high illiteracy on the impact of CME on cyanide contamination in the processing area. The study also indicated a wide characteristics of the soil at the processing site: pH (4.89-8.77), electrical conductivity (EC) (1063.00-1939.00 μS/cm), total dissolved solids (TDS) (523.90-963.50 mg/L), soil moisture (11.90-31.70%), free cyanide (0.02-0.33 mg/kg), and total cyanide (0.40-2.70 mg/kg). Results also showed that the physicochemical values of the CME were all above the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) permissible limits and were unsafe for discharging into the environment. The range of physicochemical and bacteriological parameters of the two boreholes revealed the following: pH (7.85-8.74), TDS (165.77-192.37 mg/L), EC (320.87-396.20 μS/cm), free cyanide (0.13-0.16 mg/L), total cyanide (1.29-2.15 mg/L), and bacteriological parameter (220-622 cfu/mL). The two hand-dug wells also recorded pH (8.54-9.56), TDS (140.77-156.10 mg/L), EC (288.53-340.67), biological oxygen demand (BOD) (21.51-1.61 mg/L), chemical oxygen demand (COD) (13.5-16.5 mg/L), free cyanide (0.10-0.11 mg/L), bacteriological parameter (241-302 cfu/mL), and total cyanide (0.79-0.86 mg/L). The study concluded that the discharge of CME at the processing site contributes significantly to cyanide contamination of the soil and groundwater at the processing area.
由于氰化物污染，木薯淀粉加工厂废水（CME）的不当排放已引起主要木薯产区的广泛关注。本研究对加纳阿克罗弗罗姆 - 特奇曼木薯加工区的居民和加工者进行了一项目标调查，旨在评估他们对CME排放造成的氰化物污染的了解和认知。该研究还通过物理化学和细菌学特征分析，考察了CME对加工区土壤和地下水的影响。结果显示，居民和加工者对CME对加工区氰化物污染的影响表现出高度的无知。该研究还表明了加工现场土壤的广泛特征：pH值（4.89 - 8.77）、电导率（EC）（1063.00 - 1939.00 μS/cm）、总溶解固体（TDS）（523.90 - 963.50 mg/L）、土壤湿度（11.90 - 31.70%）、游离氰化物（0.02 - 0.33 mg/kg）和总氰化物（0.40 - 2.70 mg/kg）。结果还表明，CME的物理化学值均高于加纳环境保护局（EPA）的允许限值，排放到环境中是不安全的。两个钻孔的物理化学和细菌学参数范围如下：pH值（7.85 - 8.74）、TDS（165.77 - 192.37 mg/L）、EC（320.87 - 396.20 μS/cm）、游离氰化物（0.13 - 0.16 mg/L）、总氰化物（1.29 - 2.15 mg/L）和细菌学参数（220 - 622 cfu/mL）。两口人工挖掘井的记录还包括pH值（8.54 - 9.56）、TDS（140.77 - 156.10 mg/L）、EC（288.53 - 340.67）、生物需氧量（BOD）（21.51 - 1.61 mg/L）、化学需氧量（COD）（13.5 - 16.5 mg/L）、游离氰化物（0.10 - 0.11 mg/L）、细菌学参数（241 - 302 cfu/mL）和总氰化物（0.79 - 0.86 mg/L）。该研究得出结论，加工现场的CME排放对加工区土壤和地下水的氰化物污染有重大贡献。
