Ecological Risk of Heavy Metals and a Metalloid in Agricultural Soils in Tarkwa, Ghana

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Nesta Bortey-Sam¹  Shouta M. M. Nakayama¹  Osei Akoto²  Yoshinori Ikenaka¹  Elvis Baidoo²  Hazuki Mizukawa³  Mayumi Ishizuka¹  Nil Basu⁴  Susan Keane⁴ 

[1] Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita ku, Sapporo 060–0818, Japan; E-Mails:;Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Private Mail Bag, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana; E-Mails:;Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita ku, Sapporo 060–0818, Japan; E-Mail:Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita ku, Sapporo 060–0818, Japan;

关键词: heavy metals;    metalloid;    agricultural soil;    Tarkwa;    integrated pollution;    ecological risk;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph120911448

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Heavy metals and a metalloid in agricultural soils in 19 communities in Tarkwa were analyzed to assess the potential ecological risk. A total of 147 soil samples were collected in June, 2012 and analyzed for As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn. Mean concentrations (mg/kg dw) of heavy metals in the communities decreased in order of Zn (39) ˃ Cr (21) ˃ Pb (7.2) ˃ Cu (6.2) ˃ As (4.4) ˃ Ni (3.7) ˃ Co (1.8) ˃ Hg (0.32) ˃ Cd (0.050). Correlations among heavy metals and soil properties indicated that soil organic matter could have substantial influence on the total contents of these metals in soil. From the results, integrated pollution (C_deg) in some communities such as, Wangarakrom (11), Badukrom (13) and T–Tamso (17) indicated high pollution with toxic metals, especially from As and Hg. Potential ecological risk (RI) indices indicated low (Mile 7) to high risks (Wangarakrom; Badukrom) of metals. Based on pollution coefficient (Cⁱ_f), C_deg, monomial ecological risk (Eⁱ_r) and RI, the investigated soils fall within low to high contamination and risk of heavy metals to the ecological system especially plants, soil invertebrates and/or mammalian wildlife. This represented moderate potential ecological risk in the study area, and mining activities have played a significant role.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
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