Contaminant Fate and Human Exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals In Selected Contaminated Soils in Ghana

Abstract

The study was based on quantitative methods. The quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) analytical method was used for the extraction and cleanup to quantify endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in agricultural soils and female blood samples. Four composite soil samples were taken from Accra and Cape Coast to represent cultivated soils, industry, decommissioned waste dump and forest reserve at a depth of 30cm for the analysis of potentially Toxic elements (PTE) (Fe, Cd, As, Pb Ni, Co, Cu, Zn, Mn), Phthalates and Bisphenol A. Twelve composite samples were taken per site to determine soil quality. Menstrual blood, samples were collected on aluminum foil and transferred into a vacutainer tube. Also survey questionnaire administered to 300 respondents in selected communities was used to determine individual understanding of pesticide use and health effects of EDCs. Ordinary least squares regression and multivariate statistics were fitted to the data obtained. The study indicated low level of knowledge of health effects of EDCs among the three communities. The study also indicated that generally PTEs and EDCs in soils were within recommended thresholds except for arsenic (As) and bisphenol A (BPA). Similarly, carcinogenic exposure risks of Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) and Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) via non-dietary routes were lower than 1 × 10−6 however; the ingestion cancer risk (CR) values of Cadmium (Cd), Arsenic (As) and Lead (Pb) exceeded the threshold value. Traces of Diethyl phthalates (DEP), Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were found in menstrual blood ahowever, the carcinogenic exposure risks of DEHP via various routes were much lower than 1 × 10−6.