Nutritional Quality of Crops and Surface Water Quality of Selected Communities in Ghana

Abstract

Like any other country, Ghana is working to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, part of which is targeted at ending hunger and ensuring clean water by 2030. In line with these, this study investigated what people eat at the household level, assessed the micronutrient concentrations in three varieties of maize, four varieties of plantain, two varieties of cassava and some fruits and vegetables eaten by Ghanaians. The study also investigated the relationship between micronutrient concentration in the soil and the crop. Additionally, the micronutrient content in some surface water bodies and the microbial loads in those water bodies were assessed. A household survey covering 3521 households was conducted in all ten regions of Ghana. Laboratory analyses were conducted to identify the micronutrient concentrations in the food crops and water from different water bodies. Moreover, the microbial loads of the different water bodies were analyzed. Findings from this study showed that respondents eat vegetables, fruits, animal products and maize on daily bases, and cassava and plantain on weekly bases. The region in which respondents live influence their consumption of vegetables (χ2 (45, 3521) = 2.7 × 103, P < 0.001; Cramér‘s V = 0.3887), fruits (χ2 (45, 3521) = 2.5 × 103; P < 0.001; Cramér's V = 0.3779), animal products (χ2 (27, 3521) = 966.38, P < 0.001; Cramér's V = 0.3025), cassava products (χ2 (45, 3521) = 1.7 × 103, P < 0.001; Cramér's V = 0.3125), plantain (χ2 (45, 3521) = 2.8 × 103, P < 0.001; Cramér's V = 0.3996) and maize (χ2 (36, 3521) = 1.4 × 103, P < 0.001; Cramér's V = 0.3099). It was observed that 66% of respondents depended on pipe borne water for drinking. This study also revealed that within the same species of crop, the micronutrient concentration varied among varieties. The soil also influenced the micronutrients in the crop. The pH of the soil influenced the amount of micronutrients in the crops investigated. The anthropogenic activities along the water bodies studied affected the purity of their water. Findings of this study suggest that females are very influential in determining the food eaten at the household but the expenditure on food is mostly borne by men. Education, ecological location, and community setting have influence of the food and water consumed at the household. There is therefore the need for people to diversify their food in order to obtain all the required micronutrient needed for the proper functioning of the body. Measures should be put in place to protect all surface water bodies since they are the main source of water supply as well as replenishing underground water.