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Description
Urbanization and industrial expansion in cities like Suame pose significant environmental and health effects, particularly through heavy metal contamination. This study examines the levels and ecological risks of selected heavy metals, including mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr), in soils from the Suame Municipal Area in the Ashanti Region, Ghana. A total of 336 surface soil samples were collected (Suame industrial area (SLIA) :155, Suame municipal area excluding the industrial area (SMA): 181) and analyzed for the above metals using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy. The ecological risk was evaluated using the Enrichment Factor (EF) and the Index of Geo-accumulation (Igeo) to estimate the extent of pollution. The SLIA soils recorded significantly high metal concentrations: arsenic at 257.01 mg/kg, Cadmium at 27.98 mg/kg, chromium at 2996.08 mg/kg, mercury at 63.07 mg/kg, and lead at 9819.14 mg/kg. These levels far exceed international soil quality guidelines, indicating long-term industrial contamination. pH ranged from acidic (~5.4) to neutral (~7), with some alkaline spots (~9.8 in SLIA). EC (Electrical Conductivity) was higher in polluted zones—up to 738 μS/cm in SLIA. This indicates high ionic contamination. Igeo values indicate that soils in the area were moderately to extremely polluted. The industrial area (SLIA), which is within the municipal area, was substantially more contaminated, thus (Igeo > 5) for Cadmium (Cd) and Mercury (Hg). Strong to extreme pollution was also observed for Zinc (Zn) and Copper (Cu) in the same area. The municipal area (SMA) also exhibited high pollution levels at certain spots; however, these levels were lower than those in the industrial zone, suggesting a combination of industrial fallout and other urban anthropogenic sources. Enrichment Factor, EF, confirmed significant anthropogenic enrichment, for most metals, far exceeded natural background levels. This study concludes that surface soils in the Suame Municipal area are contaminated with toxic heavy metals, particularly Pb, Ni, Cd, and Zn, posing a severe ecological and potential health risk to humans. The findings highlighted the critical need for immediate pollution control measures, remediation strategies, and monitoring of industrial urban centers such as Suame to mitigate environmental pollution and protect public health.
Keywords: Heavy Metals; Soil Pollution; Geo-accumulation Index; Enrichment Factor; Suame Light Industrial Area; Industrialization