TY - JOUR
T1 - Mercury contamination of two e‑waste recycling sites in Ghana
T2 - an investigation into mercury pollution at Dagomba Line (Kumasi) and Agbogbloshie (Accra)
AU - Amponsah, Lydia Otoo
AU - Sørensen, Peter Borgen
AU - Asantewah Nkansah, Marian
AU - Vorkamp, Katrin
AU - Yevugah , Lily Lisa
AU - Darko, Godfred
PY - 2023/5
Y1 - 2023/5
N2 - This study investigated mercury pollution at two e-waste recycling sites in Ghana—Dagomba Line in Kumasi and Agbogbloshie in Accra. A total of 129 soil samples taken at 100 m and 50 m resolutions, respectively, for Dagomba Line and Agbogbloshie, were analysed for mercury using a Zeeman atomic absorption spectrometry. Mercury concentrations from the recycling sites (ranging from 0.11 to 7.57 mg/kg Dagomba Line, and 0.01–4.36 mg/kg at Agbogbloshie) were significantly higher than that of the surrounding areas (0.01–0.17 mg/kg in Kumasi and 0.01–2.18 mg/kg in Accra) and unpolluted control sites (0.05 mg/kg in Kumasi and 0.02 mg/kg in Accra). The dismantling sites at both locations had the highest mercury concentrations. Furthermore, the concentrations were significantly higher at the Dagomba Line site in Kumasi than at Agbogbloshie, even though the Dagomba Line site is relatively recent. The mercury concentrations at both sites exceeded the pollution prevention and abatement level of 0.1 mg/kg. However, the estimated human health risk showed no potential human health effects. Moreover, the mercury concentrations in water and sediment (0.12–7.69 ng/L and 0.02–0.28 ng/L for Dagomba Line and Agbogbloshie, respectively) were below the US EPA standards. Findings from this study show that e-waste recycling can contaminate the topsoil with mercury, irrespective of the scale of the activity.
AB - This study investigated mercury pollution at two e-waste recycling sites in Ghana—Dagomba Line in Kumasi and Agbogbloshie in Accra. A total of 129 soil samples taken at 100 m and 50 m resolutions, respectively, for Dagomba Line and Agbogbloshie, were analysed for mercury using a Zeeman atomic absorption spectrometry. Mercury concentrations from the recycling sites (ranging from 0.11 to 7.57 mg/kg Dagomba Line, and 0.01–4.36 mg/kg at Agbogbloshie) were significantly higher than that of the surrounding areas (0.01–0.17 mg/kg in Kumasi and 0.01–2.18 mg/kg in Accra) and unpolluted control sites (0.05 mg/kg in Kumasi and 0.02 mg/kg in Accra). The dismantling sites at both locations had the highest mercury concentrations. Furthermore, the concentrations were significantly higher at the Dagomba Line site in Kumasi than at Agbogbloshie, even though the Dagomba Line site is relatively recent. The mercury concentrations at both sites exceeded the pollution prevention and abatement level of 0.1 mg/kg. However, the estimated human health risk showed no potential human health effects. Moreover, the mercury concentrations in water and sediment (0.12–7.69 ng/L and 0.02–0.28 ng/L for Dagomba Line and Agbogbloshie, respectively) were below the US EPA standards. Findings from this study show that e-waste recycling can contaminate the topsoil with mercury, irrespective of the scale of the activity.
KW - Anthropogenic activity
KW - Geostatistical analysis
KW - Human health risk
KW - Soil pollution
KW - Urban topsoils
KW - MANAGEMENT
KW - HEAVY-METALS
KW - CHINA
KW - SURFACE SOIL
KW - CASSAVA
KW - EMISSION
U2 - 10.1007/s10653-022-01295-9
DO - 10.1007/s10653-022-01295-9
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 35633438
SN - 0269-4042
VL - 45
SP - 1723
EP - 1737
JO - Environmental Geochemistry and Health
JF - Environmental Geochemistry and Health
IS - 5
ER -