Investigation of groundwater pollution in the Central Region, Ghana

Year 2023, Volume: 18 Issue: 2, 64 - 86, 30.06.2023

Vıctor Oforı Agyemang

Abstract

Investigating anthropogenic impact on groundwater quality in the Central Region of Ghana has been carried out. The groundwater type include: CaMgSO4, NaCl, CaMgHCO3, and Mixed water. About 82.35% of the total variance was explained by six factors. Factor 1 accounted for 36.28%, Factor 2 for 14.14%, Factor 3 for 12.43%, Factor 4 for 8.90%, Factor 5 for 5.81%, and Factor 6 for 4.79%. EC, TDS, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, SO42-, TH, Ca2+ hardness, and Mg2+ hardness were in factor 1. The components of factor 2 were NH4, PO4, NO2, NO3, and F-. Turbidity, Mn, Fe, and color were in factor 3. CaCO3 and H2CO3 made up factor 4. Factor 5 included CO3 and pH. Only K was in factor 6. Four clusters were visible using the cluster analysis method. Turbidity, color, pH, EC, TSS, TDS, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe, NH4, SO4, PO4, Mn, NO2, NO3, CaCO3, Ca2+ hardness, Mg2+ hardness, F-, H2CO3-, and CO32- were in Cluster 1. Cl- and TH were in Cluster 2. Only TDS and only EC were in clusters 3 and 4, respectively. Generally the groundwater quality was of ‘‘good’’ class based on WQI technique. The study found that human activities, seawater intrusion, ion exchange, rock weathering, and evaporation all have an impact on the region's groundwater quality. Anthropogenic practices that have an effect on the quality of the groundwater in the area include the use of agrochemicals on farmland, the spreading of animal waste on farms, galamsey, the lack of hygienic conditions around boreholes, and pit latrines.

Keywords

Factor Analysis, Cluster Analysis, Correlation Analysis, Groundwater Pollution, GIS, WQI

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