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

Nesta Bortey-Sam, Shouta M. M. Nakayama, Osei Akoto, Yoshinori Ikenaka, Elvis Baidoo, Hazuki Mizukawa and Mayumi Ishizuka
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Nesta Bortey-Sam: 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
Shouta M. M. Nakayama: 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
Osei Akoto: Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Private Mail Bag, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
Yoshinori Ikenaka: 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
Elvis Baidoo: Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Private Mail Bag, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
Hazuki Mizukawa: Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita ku, Sapporo 060–0818, Japan
Mayumi Ishizuka: 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

IJERPH, 2015, vol. 12, issue 9, 1-18

Abstract: 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 ( C i f ), C deg , monomial ecological risk ( E i 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.

Keywords: heavy metals; metalloid; agricultural soil; Tarkwa; integrated pollution; ecological risk (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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