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Dissolved organic matter in hand‑dug well water as groundwater quality indicator: assessment using laser‑induced fluorescence spectroscopy and multivariate statistical techniques

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dc.contributor.author Sefa‑Ntir, B.
dc.contributor.author Kwakye‑Awuah, B.
dc.contributor.author Edziah, R.
dc.contributor.author Anderson, B.
dc.contributor.author Armah, F. A.
dc.contributor.author Mensah‑Amoah, P.
dc.contributor.author Sackey, S. S.
dc.contributor.author F. Sam
dc.contributor.author Akyea, A. G.
dc.contributor.author Yunus, S.
dc.contributor.author Tatchie, E.
dc.contributor.author Nkansah, B. K.
dc.contributor.author Kumi, F.
dc.date.accessioned 2021-04-06T13:49:02Z
dc.date.available 2021-04-06T13:49:02Z
dc.date.issued 2020-04-07
dc.identifier.issn 23105496
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/5244
dc.description 15p:, ill. en_US
dc.description.abstract In groundwater, dissolved organic matter (DOM), a complex material, is a contaminant of concern owing to its ability to influence water quality and stimulate microbial metabolism. Using a 445-nm diode laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy, DOM contamination levels have been investigated of well water samples fetched from ten privately owned hand-dug wells during dry and wet seasons of 2016, 2017 and 2018, in Ghana. The results showed spatio-temporal heterogeneities in the LIF spectra, and the fluorescence intensity peaks were generally higher and broader during the wet season than the dry season. In this study, DOM fluorescence spectra at an emission wavelength band of 460–650 nm showed two distinct broad peak shoulders within 480–500 nm and 550–570 nm, engulfing the water Raman peak at 527 ± 2 nm for all the water samples studied. Furthermore, principal component analysis and cluster analysis were used to differentiate the 2016 water samples based on their DOM contamination levels. In each case, three groups or clusters were identified based on their similarities and dissimilarities. The study revealed humic DOM substances as the most typical well water fluorophores. Applying the K-nearest neighbour algorithm as a classifier method for the classification of 30 water samples studied in 2016, 16.7% (5/30) were classified as very good drinking water, 46.7% (14/30) as good, 26.7% (8/30) as fairly good, and 10% (3/30) as bad drinking water samples. In general, levels of dissolved organic matter contamination increased over the study period during the rainy seasons for wells situated in close proximity to septic tanks, refuse dumps, public toilets and in wetlands. Thus, in the study the fluorescence intensity depends on the sampling site and the season, and indicates the DOM contamination level en_US
dc.language.iso en en_US
dc.publisher University of Cape Coast en_US
dc.subject Dissolved organic matter en_US
dc.subject Hand-dug well water en_US
dc.subject Laser-induced fluorescence en_US
dc.subject Dry and wet seasons en_US
dc.subject Multivariate statistical techniques en_US
dc.subject Water quality monitoring and assessment en_US
dc.title Dissolved organic matter in hand‑dug well water as groundwater quality indicator: assessment using laser‑induced fluorescence spectroscopy and multivariate statistical techniques en_US
dc.type Article en_US


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