From the ground up: Unveiling Ghana's soil quality crisis and its ecological and health implications

This study reviews the sources and factors impacting soil quality in Ghana and the associated health and environmental implications. After sourcing 386 materials from different search engines, these were subjected to content evaluation and novelty/concept analysis with a score of 100% and 146 were r...

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Main Authors: Ebenezer Ebo Yahans Amuah, Bernard Fei-Baffoe, Raymond Webrah Kazapoe, Paul Dankwa, Isaac Kwaku Okyere, Lyndon Nii Adjiri Sackey, Douti Biyogue Nang, Prosper Kpiebaya
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-03-01
Series:Innovation and Green Development
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949753123000656
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author Ebenezer Ebo Yahans Amuah
Bernard Fei-Baffoe
Raymond Webrah Kazapoe
Paul Dankwa
Isaac Kwaku Okyere
Lyndon Nii Adjiri Sackey
Douti Biyogue Nang
Prosper Kpiebaya
author_facet Ebenezer Ebo Yahans Amuah
Bernard Fei-Baffoe
Raymond Webrah Kazapoe
Paul Dankwa
Isaac Kwaku Okyere
Lyndon Nii Adjiri Sackey
Douti Biyogue Nang
Prosper Kpiebaya
author_sort Ebenezer Ebo Yahans Amuah
collection DOAJ
description This study reviews the sources and factors impacting soil quality in Ghana and the associated health and environmental implications. After sourcing 386 materials from different search engines, these were subjected to content evaluation and novelty/concept analysis with a score of 100% and 146 were retained for this study. From this review, agricultural, mining, urban, and industrial activities, poor waste disposal, and vehicular and road traffic were the main sources/factors influencing the levels/distributions of soil contaminates in Ghana's pedological system. Pesticides including chlorpyrifos, β-hexachlorocyclohexane, p,p'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, hexachlorobenzene and heptachlor have also been identified in elevated levels. Also, heavy metals have been detected in dumpsites and e-waste disposal sites. HMs such as Zn (558), Cr (77), Cu (347), As (4.2), and Pb (288) (mg/kg) dominated waste disposal sites in Ghana. Extremely low levels of macro-nutrients and soil organic carbon with high metals/metalloids contents including Hg, Zn, Pb, Cu and As prevail in mining areas in Ghana. It is concluded that Ghana's pedological system is threatened by anthropogenic activities resulting in the detection of above-threshold levels of contaminants including agrochemicals, PAHs, HMs, and metalloids. These contaminants pose deleterious environmental and health implications.
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spelling doaj.art-44101bd7cdf6449b99d7c46bb2b2b4c72024-01-10T04:39:37ZengElsevierInnovation and Green Development2949-75312024-03-0131100097From the ground up: Unveiling Ghana's soil quality crisis and its ecological and health implicationsEbenezer Ebo Yahans Amuah0Bernard Fei-Baffoe1Raymond Webrah Kazapoe2Paul Dankwa3Isaac Kwaku Okyere4Lyndon Nii Adjiri Sackey5Douti Biyogue Nang6Prosper Kpiebaya7Department of Environmental Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana; Corresponding author.Department of Environmental Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaDepartment of Geological Engineering, University for Development Studies, Tamale, GhanaDepartment of Environmental Science, C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Navrongo, GhanaDepartment of Measurement and Evaluation, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, GhanaDepartment of Environmental Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaDepartment of Environmental Science, C. K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Navrongo, GhanaDepartment of Soil Science, University for Development Studies, P. O. Box TL 1882, Nyanpkala, GhanaThis study reviews the sources and factors impacting soil quality in Ghana and the associated health and environmental implications. After sourcing 386 materials from different search engines, these were subjected to content evaluation and novelty/concept analysis with a score of 100% and 146 were retained for this study. From this review, agricultural, mining, urban, and industrial activities, poor waste disposal, and vehicular and road traffic were the main sources/factors influencing the levels/distributions of soil contaminates in Ghana's pedological system. Pesticides including chlorpyrifos, β-hexachlorocyclohexane, p,p'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, hexachlorobenzene and heptachlor have also been identified in elevated levels. Also, heavy metals have been detected in dumpsites and e-waste disposal sites. HMs such as Zn (558), Cr (77), Cu (347), As (4.2), and Pb (288) (mg/kg) dominated waste disposal sites in Ghana. Extremely low levels of macro-nutrients and soil organic carbon with high metals/metalloids contents including Hg, Zn, Pb, Cu and As prevail in mining areas in Ghana. It is concluded that Ghana's pedological system is threatened by anthropogenic activities resulting in the detection of above-threshold levels of contaminants including agrochemicals, PAHs, HMs, and metalloids. These contaminants pose deleterious environmental and health implications.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949753123000656Pedological pollutionSources and factorsEnvironmental and health implicationsGhanaReview
spellingShingle Ebenezer Ebo Yahans Amuah
Bernard Fei-Baffoe
Raymond Webrah Kazapoe
Paul Dankwa
Isaac Kwaku Okyere
Lyndon Nii Adjiri Sackey
Douti Biyogue Nang
Prosper Kpiebaya
From the ground up: Unveiling Ghana's soil quality crisis and its ecological and health implications
Innovation and Green Development
Pedological pollution
Sources and factors
Environmental and health implications
Ghana
Review
title From the ground up: Unveiling Ghana's soil quality crisis and its ecological and health implications
title_full From the ground up: Unveiling Ghana's soil quality crisis and its ecological and health implications
title_fullStr From the ground up: Unveiling Ghana's soil quality crisis and its ecological and health implications
title_full_unstemmed From the ground up: Unveiling Ghana's soil quality crisis and its ecological and health implications
title_short From the ground up: Unveiling Ghana's soil quality crisis and its ecological and health implications
title_sort from the ground up unveiling ghana s soil quality crisis and its ecological and health implications
topic Pedological pollution
Sources and factors
Environmental and health implications
Ghana
Review
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949753123000656
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