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Hydrogeochemical study on the contamination of water resources in a part of Tarkwa mining area, Western Ghana

Bhattacharya, Prosun ; Sracek, Ondra ; Eldvall, Bjorn ; Asklund, Ragnar ; Barmen, Gerhard LU ; Jacks, Gunnar ; Koku, John ; Gustafsson, Jan-Erik ; Singh, Nandita and Balfors, Berit Brokking (2012) In Journal of African Earth Sciences 66-67. p.72-84
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the groundwater chemistry with special concern to metal pollution in selected communities in the Wassa West district, Ghana. In this mining area, 40 ground water samples, mainly from drilled wells, were collected. The groundwaters have generally from neutral to acidic pH values and their Eh values indicate oxidising conditions. The dominating ions are calcium, sodium, and bicarbonate. The metal concentrations in the study area are generally lower than those typically found in mining regions. Only 17 wells show metal concentrations exceeding WHO guidelines for at least one metal. The main contaminants are manganese and iron, but arsenic and aluminium also exceed the guidelines in some wells probably... (More)
The aim of this study was to investigate the groundwater chemistry with special concern to metal pollution in selected communities in the Wassa West district, Ghana. In this mining area, 40 ground water samples, mainly from drilled wells, were collected. The groundwaters have generally from neutral to acidic pH values and their Eh values indicate oxidising conditions. The dominating ions are calcium, sodium, and bicarbonate. The metal concentrations in the study area are generally lower than those typically found in mining regions. Only 17 wells show metal concentrations exceeding WHO guidelines for at least one metal. The main contaminants are manganese and iron, but arsenic and aluminium also exceed the guidelines in some wells probably affected by acid mine drainage (AMD). Metal concentrations in the groundwater seem to be controlled by the adsorption processes. Hydrogeochemical modelling indicates supersaturation of groundwater with respect to several mineral phases including iron-hydroxides/oxides, suggesting that adsorption on these minerals may control heavy metal and arsenic concentrations in groundwater. The area is hilly, with many groundwater flow divides that result in several local flow systems. The aquifers therefore are not strongly affected by weathering of minerals due to short groundwater residence times and intense flushing. The local character of groundwater flow systems also prevents a strong impact of acid mine drainage on groundwater systems in a regional scale. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Groundwater, Mining, Hydrogeochemistry, Metal pollution, Arsenic, Tarkwa
in
Journal of African Earth Sciences
volume
66-67
pages
72 - 84
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000304514100007
  • scopus:84859747954
ISSN
1464-343X
DOI
10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2012.03.005
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
02172f29-932b-4346-aa93-7e3a67bf5766 (old id 2910857)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:59:16
date last changed
2022-04-28 03:30:56
@article{02172f29-932b-4346-aa93-7e3a67bf5766,
  abstract     = {{The aim of this study was to investigate the groundwater chemistry with special concern to metal pollution in selected communities in the Wassa West district, Ghana. In this mining area, 40 ground water samples, mainly from drilled wells, were collected. The groundwaters have generally from neutral to acidic pH values and their Eh values indicate oxidising conditions. The dominating ions are calcium, sodium, and bicarbonate. The metal concentrations in the study area are generally lower than those typically found in mining regions. Only 17 wells show metal concentrations exceeding WHO guidelines for at least one metal. The main contaminants are manganese and iron, but arsenic and aluminium also exceed the guidelines in some wells probably affected by acid mine drainage (AMD). Metal concentrations in the groundwater seem to be controlled by the adsorption processes. Hydrogeochemical modelling indicates supersaturation of groundwater with respect to several mineral phases including iron-hydroxides/oxides, suggesting that adsorption on these minerals may control heavy metal and arsenic concentrations in groundwater. The area is hilly, with many groundwater flow divides that result in several local flow systems. The aquifers therefore are not strongly affected by weathering of minerals due to short groundwater residence times and intense flushing. The local character of groundwater flow systems also prevents a strong impact of acid mine drainage on groundwater systems in a regional scale. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Bhattacharya, Prosun and Sracek, Ondra and Eldvall, Bjorn and Asklund, Ragnar and Barmen, Gerhard and Jacks, Gunnar and Koku, John and Gustafsson, Jan-Erik and Singh, Nandita and Balfors, Berit Brokking}},
  issn         = {{1464-343X}},
  keywords     = {{Groundwater; Mining; Hydrogeochemistry; Metal pollution; Arsenic; Tarkwa}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{72--84}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of African Earth Sciences}},
  title        = {{Hydrogeochemical study on the contamination of water resources in a part of Tarkwa mining area, Western Ghana}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2012.03.005}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2012.03.005}},
  volume       = {{66-67}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}