Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Relationship Between Coliform Bacteria and Water Chemistry in Groundwater Within Gold Mining Environments in Ghana

  • Published:
Water Quality, Exposure and Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

As in many developing countries, the disease burden from the lack of biologically or chemically safe drinking water is a continuing problem in Ghana. Shallow hand-dug wells and deep boreholes constitute the rural drinking water supply. This is particularly the case in gold mining environments where surface water is commonly contaminated with metalloids and heavy metals. Groundwater samples from 738 wells or boreholes in mining (\(n\,=\,518\)) and non-mining areas (controls, \(n\,=\,220\)) were collected and analyzed to examine the relationship between Escherichia coli (E. coli) and total coliform bacteria, and characteristics such as pH, electrical conductivity, turbidity, total dissolved solids, nitrates, As, Cd, Fe, Mn, and Pb. E. coli and total coliform bacteria, respectively, were detected in 36 and 204 of the 518 groundwater samples in mining locations. E. coli and total coliform bacteria were not detected in any of the groundwater samples collected in non-mining locations. Regression analysis showed that electrical conductivity, As, Cd, Fe, and Pb were significant predictors of E. coli in groundwater in mining areas. Also, regression analysis showed that pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, turbidity, nitrates, As, and Cd were significant predictors of total coliform bacteria in mining areas. This study demonstrates the need to promptly identify and remediate groundwater sources of drinking water in gold mining communities that potentially have a high risk of disease. It also shows the usefulness of statistical models as tools for guiding local authorities to prevent groundwater contamination.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adimado AA, Baah DA (2002) Mercury in human blood, urine, hair, nail and fish from the Ankobra and Tano River Basins in Southwestern Ghana. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 68:339–346

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Aitkin M, Francis B, Hinde J (2005) Statistical modelling in GLIM4, 2nd edn. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • American Public and Health Association (2002) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 20th edn. American Public and Health Association, Washington

  • Amirbahman A, Kent DB, Curtis GP, Davis JA (2006) Kinetics of sorption and abiotic oxidation of arsenic (III) by aquifer materials. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 70(3):533–547

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Amonoo-Neizer EH, Amekor EMK (1993) Determination of total arsenic in environmental samples from Kumasi and Obuasi. Ghana Environ Health Perspect 101(1):44–49

    Google Scholar 

  • Armah FA, Obiri S, Yawson DO, Onumah EE, Yengoh GT, Afrifa EKA, Odoi JO (2010a) Anthropogenic sources and environmentally relevant concentrations of heavy metals in surface water of a mining district in Ghana: a multivariate statistical approach. J Environ Sci Health A 43(13):1804–1813

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Armah FA, Obiri S, Yawson DO, Pappoe ANM, Akoto B (2010b) Mining and heavy metal pollution: assessment of aquatic environments of Tarkwa, Ghana using multivariate statistical analysis. J Environ Stat 1(4):1–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Armah FA, Luginaah I, Obiri S (2012) Assessing environmental exposure and health impacts of gold mining in Ghana. Toxicol Environ Chem 94(4):786–798

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Asante KA, Agusa T, Subramanian A, Ansa-Asare OD, Biney CA, Tanabe S (2007) Contamination status of arsenic and other trace elements in drinking water and residents from Tarkwa, a historic mining township in Ghana. Chemosphere 66:1513–1522

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Asklund R, Eldvall B (2005) Contamination of water resources in Tarkwa mining area of Ghana. A minor field study. MSc Thesis, Lund Institute of Technology, Sweden

  • Baumann E (2005) Common RWSN context. Discussion Paper, St. Gallen, SKAT/RWSN

  • Bhattacharya P, Sracek O, Eldvall B, Asklund R, Barmen G, Jacks G et al (2012) Hydrogeochemical study on the contamination of water resources in a part of Tarkwa mining area. West Ghana J Afr Earth Sci 66–67:72–84

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Deichmann U, Lall SV (2007) Citizen feedback and delivery of urban services. World Dev 35(4):649–662

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • del Carmen Hernández-Soriano M, Peña A, Mingorance MD (2011) Environmental hazard of cadmium, copper, lead and zinc in metal-contaminated soils remediated by sulfosuccinamate formulation. J Environ Monit 13(10):2830–2837

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Edberg SC, Rice EW, Karlin RJ, Allen MJ (2000) Escherichia coli: the best biological drinking water indicator for public health protection. J Appl Microbiol 88(S1):106S–116S

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fahrmeir L, Tutz G (2001) Multivariate statistical modelling based on generalized linear models, 2nd edn. Springer, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Gadgil A (2008) Safe and affordable drinking water for developing countries. In: Hafemeister D, Levi B, Levine MD, Schwartz P (eds) Physics of sustainable energy. American Institute of Physics, College Park, pp 176–191

  • Gerber CP, Smith JE Jr (2005) Sources of pathogenic microorganisms and their fate during land application of wastes. J Environ Qual 34:42–48

    Google Scholar 

  • Gyau-Boakye P, Dapaah-Siakwan S (2000) Hydrogeological framework and borehole yields in Ghana. Hydrogeol J 8:405–416

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey R (1989) Considerations for modeling transport of bacteria in contaminated aquifers. Int Assoc Hydrol Sci Publ 185:75–82

    Google Scholar 

  • Höhn R, Isenbeck-Schröter M, Kent DB, Davis JA, Jakobsen R, Jann S, Niedan V, Scholz C, Stadler S, Tretner A (2006) Tracer test with As(V) under variable redox conditions controlling arsenic transport in the presence of elevated ferrous concentrations. J Contam Hydrol 88:36–54

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jensen PK, Ensink JH, Jayasinghe G, Van Der Hoek W, Cairncross S, Dalsgaard A (2002) Domestic transmission routes of pathogens: the problem of in-house contamination of drinking water during storage in developing countries. Trop Med Int Health 7(7):604–609

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • John DE, Rose JB (2005) Review of factors affecting microbial survival in ground water. Environ Sci Technol 39:7345–7356

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kesse GO (1985) The mineral and rock resources of Ghana. Balkema, Perth

    Google Scholar 

  • Kortatsi BK (2004) Hydrochemistry of groundwater in the mining area of tarkwa-prestea. Ghana, PhD thesis. University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana

  • Obiri S, Dodoo DK, Essumang DK, Armah FA (2010) Cancer and non-cancer risk assessment from exposure to arsenic, cadmium and copper by resident adults and children in the Obuasi Municipality, Ghana. Int J Human Ecol Risk Assess 16(3):651–665

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Machdar E, van der Steen NP, Raschid-Sally L, Lens PNL (2013) Application of Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment to analyze the public health risk from poor drinking water quality in a low income area in Accra, Ghana. Sci Total Environ 449:134–142

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Parker KT (2011) Bacterial contamination of drinking water in rural Ghana, MSc. Thesis, California State University, Sacramento. http://csus-dspace.calstate.edu/handle/10211.9/1544. Accessed 15 Apr 2013

  • Pedley S, Yates M, Schijven JF, West J, Howard G, Barrett M (2006) Pathogens: health relevance, transport, and attenuation. In: Schmoll O, Howard G, Chilton J, Chorus I (eds) Protecting groundwater for health: managing the quality of drinking water sources. IWA, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarojam P (2009) Analysis of essential, trace and heavy metals in drinking water by flame atomic absorption and graphite furnace atomic absorption. Application note: Perkin Elmer, Shelton. http://uqu.edu.sa/files2/tiny_mce/plugins/filemanager/files/4240001/APP_AnalysisofTraceandHeavyMetalsinDrinkingWaterbyAA.pdf. Accessed 5 May 2012

  • Smedley P L, Edmunds WM, Pelig-Ba KB (1996) Mobility of arsenic in groundwater in the Obuasi gold-mining area of Ghana: some implications for human health. Environ Geochem Health 113:163–181, Appleton JD, Fuge R, Mccall GJH (eds) Geological society special issue, Chapman and Hall

    Google Scholar 

  • Shotyk W, Le Roux G (2005) Biogeochemistry and cycling of lead. In: Sigel A, Sigel H, Sigel ROK (eds) Biogeochemical cycles of the elements, Marcel Dekker, New York, 43, p 240–275

  • Sobsey MD, Stauber CE, Casanova LM, Brown JM, Elliott MA (2008) Point of use household drinking water filtration: a practical, effective solution for providing sustained access to safe drinking water in the developing world. Environ Sci Technol 42(12):4261–4267

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • United Nations Development Program (UNDP) (2006) Human development report. UNDP, New York

  • United Nations Department of Public Information (2013) The millennium development goals report 2013: we can end poverty by 2015. United Nations, New York. http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/report-2013/mdg-report-2013-english.pdf. Accessed 10 Aug 2013

  • Vasquez WF, Mozumder P, Hernandez-Arce J, Berrens R (2009) Willingness to pay for safe drinking water: evidence from parral, Mexico. J Environ Manage 90(11):3390–3400

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organisation (WHO) (1997) Guidelines for drinking-water quality: surveillance and control of community supplies, vol. 3. World Health Organization, Geneva

  • World Health Organization (WHO) (2004) Guidelines for drinking-water quality, 3rd edn. vol 1. Recommendations

  • Wright J, Gundry S, Conroy R (2004) Household drinking water in developing countries: a systematic review of microbiological contamination between source and point-of-use. Trop Med Int Health 9:106–117

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

I wish to thank Emily Catherine Eyles of the Department of Geography, The University of Western Ontario, Canada for reading through the draft manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Science, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana

    Frederick Ato Armah

  2. Environmental Health and Hazards Laboratory, Department of Geography, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada

    Frederick Ato Armah

Authors
  1. Frederick Ato Armah
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Frederick Ato Armah.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Armah, F.A. Relationship Between Coliform Bacteria and Water Chemistry in Groundwater Within Gold Mining Environments in Ghana . Water Qual Expo Health 5, 183–195 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-014-0110-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-014-0110-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation