Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
Environ Monit Assess. 2024 Aug 28;196(9):857. doi: 10.1007/s10661-024-13024-z.
Trace element (TEs) contamination in groundwater is a key factor for health risk assessment and one of the environmental challenges linked with Ghana's sustainable development. This study aims to investigate TE concentrations in groundwater used for drinking and domestic purposes and their potential health risk in the Kumasi Metropolis using multivariate statistics. In the study, 23 groundwater samples were analyzed for 32 TEs using Perkin Elmer Nexion 2000 Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS). Levels of TEs recorded in the study were in order of Na > Si > Ca > K > Mg > S > Ba > Cu > Zn > Al > Sr > Li > Mn > P > Fe > B > Pb > Ni > Co > Bi > Se > Sb > Cr > As > Ti > Be > V > U > C d > T l > Mo > Hg. The study revealed that the concentration of trace and toxic elements like Al, Cu, and Pb exceeded their corresponding WHO permissible standards. Hazard index (HI) values and total likely cancer risk (TLCR) values for non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks indicate that 91.3% of the total sampling sites presented health concerns to adults and children. The mean TLCR values associated with exposure to carcinogenic metals via ingestion of groundwater samples were estimated to be 2.09 × 10 and 4.44 × 10 for adults and children respectively. Exposure through the ingestion pathway was found to be more risky compared to dermal contacts. Children are particularly vulnerable to these health hazards. Pearson correlation (PC) matrix, principal component analysis (PCA), and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) suggested that sources of TEs in the groundwater are attributed to both anthropogenic and geogenic factors.
地下水的微量元素（TEs）污染是健康风险评估的关键因素之一，也是与加纳可持续发展相关的环境挑战之一。本研究旨在使用多元统计方法调查用于饮用水和家庭用途的地下水的 TE 浓度及其潜在健康风险。在研究中，使用 Perkin Elmer Nexion 2000 电感耦合等离子体质谱仪（ICP-MS）分析了 23 个地下水样本中的 32 种 TE。研究中记录的 TE 水平依次为 Na > Si > Ca > K > Mg > S > Ba > Cu > Zn > Al > Sr > Li > Mn > P > Fe > B > Pb > Ni > Co > Bi > Se > Sb > Cr > As > Ti > Be > V > U > C d > Tl > Mo > Hg。研究表明，像 Al、Cu 和 Pb 这样的痕量和有毒元素的浓度超过了相应的世卫组织允许标准。非致癌和致癌健康风险的危害指数（HI）值和总可能癌症风险（TLCR）值表明，91.3%的总采样点对成人和儿童的健康构成威胁。通过摄入地下水样本接触致癌金属的平均 TLCR 值估计分别为成人和儿童的 2.09×10 和 4.44×10。与皮肤接触相比，通过摄入途径暴露的风险更大。儿童特别容易受到这些健康危害的影响。皮尔逊相关（PC）矩阵、主成分分析（PCA）和层次聚类分析（HCA）表明，地下水 TE 的来源归因于人为和地质因素。
