Trace Elements Determination and Health Risk Assessment of Groundwater Sources in Kumasi, Ghana

Abstract

Abstract Human health and socioeconomic sustainable development are inextricably linked to water quality. Trace element (TE) contamination in groundwater is a key factor for health risk assessment and one of the environmental challenges linked with Ghana’s sustainable development. This study aims to investigate TEs concentrations in groundwater used for drinking and domestic purposes and their potential health risk in the Kumasi Metropolis using multivariate statistics. In the study, 23 groundwater samples were analyzed for 32 TEs using Perkin Elmer Nexion 2000 Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS). The study revealed that the concentration of some trace and toxic elements such as Al, Cu and Pb exceeded their corresponding WHO permissible standards. Hazard index (HI) values and total likely cancer risk (TLCR) values computed for non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risk indicate that 91.3% of the total sampling sites presented health concerns to adults and children. The mean TLCR values associated with exposure to carcinogenic metals via ingestion of groundwater samples were estimated to be 2.09 × 10− 4 and 4.44 × 10− 4 for adults and children respectively. Exposure through ingestion pathway was found to be more risky compared to dermal contacts. Children are particularly vulnerable to these health hazards. Pearson correlation (PC) matrix, principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) suggested that sources of TEs in the groundwater are attributed to both anthropogenic and geogenic factors.