Browsing by Author "Asamoah, Kofi Asare"

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    Determination of the levels of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) in some environmental samples in the vicinity of selected transformers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), in Kumasi, Ghana.
    (2005) Asamoah, Kofi Asare
    As a contribution to requirements towards Ghana’s obligations to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), 22 transformer oil samples, 23 soil samples and leaf samples from 3 sites in the Kumasi metropolis have been analysed for Polychiorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) as Aroclors 1260, 1248, 1221 and Congeners 118, 138 and 180. Out of the 22 transformer oil samples, 20 were from functional 2° transformers in operation at the time of sampling. The two other samples were from a Transformer Maintenance Workshop. Selected transformers whose oils were analysed were manufactured from 1960 to 1975 and then 2000. Soils analysed were taken within a 15cm depth from the soil surface and within Ca. 1Dm radius of the transformer locations. Samples from a Case Study plantain farm suspected to be contaminated due to its proximity to a Transformer Maintenance Workshop were also analysed for PCBs. Samples from a farm remote from possible PCB sources (referred herein as the Control Farm) were analysed in a control experiment. All sampling was done between January and February 2004. Agilent Technologies 6890N series GC-μECD equipped with a 7683 series Automatic Liquid Sampler and oprated with the Chemstation version N.04.10 was used for the PCB analyses. The median Aroclor 1260 concentration in the 22 transformer oils for a range of <0.2816μgg̵‾1 to 516.443 μgg‾1, was <0.2816μgg‾1 The levels of Aroclors 1248 and 1221 in the transformer oils were below the Method Detection Limits of 0.l65Oppm and 0.2520ppm respectively. PCB congener 180 in transformer oil samples had a range of <0.2887μgg‾1 to 528.4401pgg‾1 and a median value of <0.2887μgg‾1. PCB 118 and PCB 138 had ranges of <0.2923μgg‾1 to 465.9035μgg‾1 and