Contribution of artisanal activities to heavy metal contamination of soil and water resources at Suame magazine

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Date
June, 2015
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The Suame Magazine industrial area is a well-known automotive repair village in Ghana and West Africa. Artisanal activities at Suame Magazine industrial area generate waste containing hazardous contaminants such as heavy metals which are disposed of indiscriminately onto the soil. A total of forty-five (45) soil samples and nineteen (19) water samples determined for six heavy metals (Cd, Zn, Cu, As, Pb, Fe). The heavy metal concentration for the six metals determined in soil and water samples was in the order; Fe > Zn > Cd > As > Pb > Cu and the levels of these metals decreased with depth of the soil profile. Assessment of heavy metal contamination at Suame Magazine industrial area using indices of pollution indicated that the study area is highly polluted with these metals in the order; Fe > Zn > Cd > As > Pb > Cu. Also statistical analysis was used to determine the correlativity of the metals and their possible source of origin (natural or anthropogenic). Health risk indices such as hazard coefficient and the cancer risk were calculated and the results showed that artisans are likely to suffer from cancer through ingestion of soil and water as a result of the exposure. Key words: Artisanal activities, heavy metals, indices of pollution, health risk assessment, toxicity.
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A Thesis Submitted to the Department of Chemistry, College of Science Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in partial fulfillment for the award of the degree of Master of Philosophy in Analytical Chemistry, 2015
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