A Systematic Review of Heavy Metals of Anthropogenic Origin in Environmental Media and Biota in the Context of Gold Mining in Ghana

Table 2

Levels of metals in water from boreholes by region in Ghana.

Reference	Numbers of boreholes/community	As	Hg	Fe	Mn	Cd	Zn	Cr	Cu	Pb
Ashanti region
Amasa 1975 [31]	Boreholes in selected communities in Obuasi area	2250 μgL^−1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Smedley 1996 [62]	4 boreholes in selected communities in Obuasi area	53.75 (14–64) μgL^−1	—	2046.3 (980–4447) μgL^−1	220 (79–313) μgL^−1	—	126.5 (3–226) μgL^−1	<0.3 μgL^−1	1.45 (0.7–2.4) μgL^−1	<0.06 μgL^−1
Boadu et al. 2000 [25]	Underground water at Konongo old mining shaft	11,950 (11,700–12,200) μgL^−1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
			—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Akabzaa et al.; 2007 [24]	Obuasi and its environ		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	8 boreholes in communities within the operating area of AGC	282.7 (15–801) μgL^−1	2.5 μgL^−1	2570.7 (21–5342) μgL^−1	106.14 (43–248) μgL^−1	<2.0 μgL^−1	43 (14–117) μgL^−1	—	46.4 (1–94) μgL^−1	36.3 (1–96) μgL^−1
	5 boreholes in communities immediately downstream	<1 μgL^−1	2.5 μgL^−1	517.5 (40–1811) μgL^−1	124.5 (1–329) μgL^−1	<2.0 μgL^−1	40.9 (12–127) μgL^−1	—	19.25 (3–44) μgL^−1	24 (5–48) μgL^−1
Akabzaa et al.; 2007 [24]	15 bores in the vicinity of Obuasi mine	82 (9–801) μgL^−1	4 (1–9) μgL^−1	1343 (19–15340) μgL^−1	120 (1–329) μgL^−1	2 (2–9) μgL^−1	42 (4–127) μgL^−1	—	25 (1–94) μgL^−1	16 (<0.01–96) μgL^−1
Tay and Momade 2006 [26]	67 boreholes, 24 wells in the northern part of the Ashanti Gold belt	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
		—	205 μgL^−1	775 μgL^−1	525 μgL^−1	10 μgL^−1	—	—	—	—
	September (light rains)	—	190 (<1.0–520) μgL^−1	990 (10–2120) μgL^−1	620 (10–1090) μgL^−1	10 (1–24) μgL^−1	—	—	—	—
	June (heavy rains)	—	220 (100–700) μgL^−1	560 (200–2360) μgL^−1	430 (10–30) μgL^−1	10 (<1–76) μgL^−1	—	—	—	—
Amedjoe et al. 2012 [63]	22 boreholes and hand dug wells in the Obuasi area (wet-June + dry-Feb seasons)	570 (240–1320) μgL^−1	—	170 (30–480) μgL^−1	—	—	50 (30–480) μgL^−1	—	—	—
Western region			—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Asante et al. 2007 [15]; March (Light rains)	12 boreholes in selected communities in Tarkwa area	1.3 (0.5–1.0) μgL^−1	<0.5 (<0.5–2.3) μgL^−1	—	797 (2.24–4970) μgL^−1	0.06 (0.01–0.16) μgL^−1	10.3 (1.82–24.5) μgL^−1	0.78 (0.03–2.1) μgL^−1	4.29 (0.93–11.1) μgL^−1	0.16 (0.01–0.32) μgL^−1
Obiri 2007 [64] (August 2004 to June 2005)	4 boreholes in Dumasi in Wassa West District	5142 (4987–6521) μgL^−1	—	7855 (7520–8515) μgL^−1	374 (111–586) μgL^−1	3.35 (2–5) μgL^−1	6.68 (6-7) μgL^−1	42 (26–45) μgL^−1	—	6.56 (5–8) μgL^−1
Asante et al. 2007 [15] (March 2004)	12 boreholes in selected communities in Tarkwa area	1.3 (0.5–4.0) μgL^−1	<0.05–2.30 μgL^−1	—	797 (2.2–4970) μgL^−1	0.06 (0.01–0.16) μgL^−1	10.3 (1.82–24.5) μgL^−1	0.78 (0.46–1.8) μgL^−1	4.29 (0.93–11.1) μgL^−1	0.16 (0.01–0.32) μgL^−1
Armah et al. 2011 [65]	Tarkwa mining area	4 (<0.1–22.0) μgL^−1	—	144 (<0.1–1499) μgL^−1	100 (<0.1–1500) μgL^−1	2 (<0.1–28) μgL^−1	0.5 (0.4–3.6) μgL^−1	0.2 (<0.1–1.0) μgL^−1	0.2 (0.4–717) μgL^−1	3.7 (0.4–34.1) μgL^−1
Eastern Region
Kortatsi et al. 2008 [66]	45 boreholes in selected communities in the Eastern region	5.5 (<2–9) μgL^−1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Tay and Kortatsi; 2008 [47]	Boreholes from 68 communities in the Eastern region		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	22 communities in the Suhum districts			10 (10–400) μgL^−1	100 (10–500) μgL^−1		—	—	—	—
	15 communities in the Akim districts			88.6 (10–500) μgL^−1	135.4 (10–500) μgL^−1		—	—	—	—
	7 communities in the Akwapim district			40 μgL^−1	20 μgL^−1
Greater Accra Region
Kortatsi et al. 2008 [66]	21 boreholes in selected communities in the Greater Accra region	3.5 (<2–5) μgL^−1	—	—	—		—	—	—	—
Tay and Kortatsi; 2008 [47]	Boreholes in 24 communities in the Ga districts			40 (10–1010) μgL^−1	40 μgL^−1		—	—	—	—
Volta Region							—	—	—	—
Tay 2007 [67]	34 boreholes at Akatsi area			270 (10–3120) μgL^−1	330 (10–1450) μgL^−1		—	—	—	—
	27 boreholes at Ketu area			350 (<1–1510) μgL^−1	2350 (10–1450) μgL^−1		—	—	—	—
Kortatsi et al. 2008 [66]	44 boreholes in selected communities in the Volta region	15 (<2.0–28) μgL^−1
Reference	Number of boreholes/community	Ni	Co	Cr	Cd	Se	Th	Sb	Sr	Mn
Ashanti region
Smedley 1996 [62]	4 boreholes in selected communities in Obuasi area	1.54 (1–2.4) μgL^−1	2.36 (0.73–5.57) μgL^−1	<0.3 μgL^−1	—	—	—	<0.04 μgL^−1	277.75 (125–380) μgL^−1	—
Akabzaa et al.; 2007 [24]	15 bores in the Vicinity of Obuasi mine	13 (2–46) μgL^−1			2 (2–9) μgL^−1
Tay and  Momade 2006 [26]	67 boreholes, 24 wells in the northern part of the Ashanti Gold belt
		45 μgL^−1
	September (light rains)	<10 μgL^−1
	June (heavy rains)	45 (10–80) μgL^−1
Western region
Asante et al. 2007 [15]; March (Light rains)	12 boreholes in selected communities in Tarkwa area		2.5 (0.02–8.9) μgL^−1	0.78 (0.03–2.1) μgL^−1					291 (19–1320) μgL^−1
Obiri 2007 [64] (August 2004 to June 2005)	4 boreholes in Dumasi in Wassa West District		33.25 (10–50) μgL^−1		3.5 (2–5) μgL^−1
Asante et al. 2007 [15] (March 2004)	12 boreholes in selected communities in Tarkwa area		2.5 (0.07–8.9) μgL^−1	0.78 (0.03–2.1) μgL^−1					291.04 (19–1320) μgL^−1
Armah et al. 2011 [65]		4 (3) μgL^−1	—	0.2 (<0.1–1.0) μgL^−1	2 (<0.1–28) μgL^−1	—	—	—	—	100 (<0.1–1500) μgL^−1
Tay 2007 [67]	34 boreholes at Akatsi area									40.79 (1.2–111.7) μgL^−1
	27 boreholes at Ketu area									47.39 (4.3–183) μgL^−1
Tay and Kortatsi; 2008 [47]	Boreholes in 24 communities in the Ga districts									37400 (7700–306000) μgL^−1
Tay and Kortatsi; 2008 [47]	22 communities in the Suhum districts									11900 (1400–132900) μgL^−1
Tay and Kortatsi; 2008 [47]	15 communities in the Akim districts									12200 (1100–42400) μgL^−1