Physico-chemical characteristics of 74 boreholes from communities within Densu Basin were assessed following procedures outlined in Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. The aim was to assess the status of the boreholes water quality for any contamination for management action to ensure the quality of health of the people in the area. The water quality parameters analyzed included conductivity, pH, turbidity, color, major ions, nutrients, and metals. The study showed that most of the physico-chemical constituents were within the WHO guideline limits. pH values ranged from 6.0 to 8.21, while conductivity varied between 117 and 3,500 lS/cm and turbidity from 0.6 to 19.0 NTU. However, a few of the parameters fell outside the limits prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO 2004). Fourteen, 9, and 7% of the boreholes exceeded the WHO guideline values for nitrate (NO 3 ), fluoride (F -) and iron (Fe), respectively. Locations where high concentration of Fe and Mn occurred, efforts must be made to remove them to discourage the use of surface waters which may be contaminated by harmful bacteria.
The concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Densu River Basin in Ghana were measured using gas chromatograph. Surface water samples were collected from nine stations, namely, Potroase, Koforidua Intake, Suhyien, Mangoase, Asuboi, Nsawam Bridge, Afuaman, Ashalaga, and Weija Intake in the Densu Basin. Total PAH concentrations varied from 13.0 to 80.0 μg/mL in the Densu River, with a mean value of 37.1 μg/mL. The two- to three-ring PAHs (low-molecular-weight PAHs) were found to be dominant in the Densu River Basin. Total PAH concentrations showed the following pattern: Koforidua Intake (80.0 μg/mL) > Asuboi (50.8 μg/mL) > Afuaman (47.9 μg/mL) > Weija Intake (45.0 μg/mL) > Suhyien (27.6 μg/mL) > Nsawam (23.5 μg/mL) > Ashalaja (22.9 μg/mL) > Potroase (23.3 μg/mL) > Mangoase (13.0 μg/mL). According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), background levels of PAHs in drinking water supplies in the USA range from 0.004 to 0.024 μg/mL. PAH levels from all sites exceeded the range set by ATSDR. B[a]P contributed the highest carcinogenic exposure equivalent (0.3 μg/mL), followed by B[a]A (0.132 μg/mL) and B[b]F (0.08 μg/mL), contributing 52.6%, 23.2%, and 4.6%, respectively, of the total carcinogenicity of surface water PAH in the Densu River Basin. The carcinogenic potency was estimated to be 0.57 μg/mL. The presence of PAHs was an indication of the water sources being contaminated, with potential health implications.
Water quality of the Densu River was studied by determining the levels of various physico-chemical parameters including trace metals for planning of the basin. The pH range (7.40-8.22) fell within the natural background level 6.5-8.5. The river was moderately hard with high turbidity due to poor farming practices, which result in large quantities of topsoil ending up in the river after rains. The river waters were well oxygenated with a mean DO concentration of 6.3 mg/l. Nitrogen and phosphorus levels were below their natural background values. The Densu River showed an overall ionic dominance pattern of Na > Ca > K > Mg and Cl > HCO(3) > SO(4), a pattern which is an intermediate between fresh and sea water systems. The mean concentrations of metals for the basin followed the order: Fe > Mn > Zn > Pb > Cu > Cd. 84.6% of the sampling sites exceeded the background values of 0.3 mg/l and 0.1 mg/l for Fe and Mn respectively. Other metals Zn, Pb, Cu and Cd were all below their background levels indicating the river is unpolluted with respect to these metals. Water Quality index performed on the data depicted that River Densu is of poor to fairly good water quality. Regular water quality monitoring is recommended.
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