Use of Geo-Accumulation Index and Enrichment Factor in Assessing Pollution of Some Heavy Metals in KEEA, Ghana Tidal Flat

Abstract

In environmental pollution studies, assessment of elevated levels of heavy metals as toxic pollutants has significant importance since it has detrimental consequences on the environment, which translates into damaging effects on humans. An evaluation was carried out to determine the concentrations of seven heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn) in soil sediments collected from 12 different stations within the Benya Lagoon in Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem Municipality (KEEA) in Ghana using a fast sequential hydride generation atomic absorption spectrophotometer. In this study geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and Enrichment Factor (EF) were computed and compared in different sites. The range of the concentration in the sediments areas are as follows: (As: 14.4-105.6 mg/kg), (Cd: 3.6-26.4 mg/kg), (Cr: 30.8-100.8 mg/kg), (Cu: 4.8-217.6 mg/kg), (Hg: 0.4-8.8 mg/kg), (Pb: 40.8-309.2 mg/kg) and (Zn: 2.0-177.2 mg/kg). The geoaccumulation index (Igeo) gave the extent of contamination in the order Cd > Pb > As > Hg > Cu > Cr > Zn with Station 1 as the most polluted. The EF values all show very high human influence. These high levels of heavy metals pose individual potential risks and point to a possible detrimental effect on the health of inhabitants that use resources directly from the lagoon without treatment, and therefore the need for education to curtail any unanticipated disasters