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Water Physicochemical Characteristics and Health Risk Assessment of Trace Metals in River Mouths Along a Tropical Coastline of Gulf Guinea, West Africa

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Abstract

The physicochemical parameters and trace metal concentrations were measured in the water of ten major river mouths along the coastline in Cote d’Ivoire. Sampling was performed during the dry season of 2020. The results showed that the river mouths have good water quality characteristics, with average values of temperature (25.5 ± 1.86 °C), and pH (8.70 ± 0.40). The physicochemical concentrations were total dissolved solids (23.2 ± 1.74 mg L−1), salinity (47.7 ± 2.90 mg L−1), dissolved oxygen (6.23 ± 1.74 mg L−1), nitrite (0.04 ± 0.03 mg L−1), nitrate (5.10–4 ± 5.10–5 mg L−1), phosphate (1.32 ± 1.45 mg L−1), and sulfate (998 ± 34.0 mg L−1). The concentrations of the studied trace metals (Cu, Cr, and Zn) exceeded the threshold concentrations recommended by WHO for drinking water, indicating a potential risk to the environment and human health. The principal component analysis (PCA) and Pearson correlation applied to the results showed that sulfate and dissolved oxygen concentrations influenced Cu and Cr concentrations in the water of the river mouths. The hazards' quotient, hazard index (HI), and the non-carcinogenic health risk revealed that Cu, Cr, and Zn concentrations were within the safe level. This indicates that dermal contact appears to be a minor route of exposure to coastline water metals for both adults and children. The result provide basic information for trace metals pollution monitoring and environmental management in the mouth of rivers along the coastline of Côte d’Ivoire.

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The data that support the finding of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Director of the Centre de Recherche Océanologique for his support and for supporting them and allowing them to use the laboratory in Abidjan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit of Training and Research of Mining Resource and Earth Science, University of Félix Houphouët Boigny, PO. Box 522, Abidjan, Ivory Coast

    Kouamé Moïse Kouassi & Aoua Sougo Coulibaly

  2. Department of Mathematic Physic and Chemistry, University of Peleforo Gon Coulibaly, PO. Box 1328, Korhogo, Ivory Coast

    Kakou Charles Kinimo

  3. Center of Oceanology Research, PO. Box V18, Abidjan, Ivory Coast

    Koffi Marcellin Yao

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  1. Kouamé Moïse Kouassi
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Contributions

KMY and KKM: Conceptualization, Methodology, sampling, revising, and editing the manuscript. KCK: Conceptualization, Methodology, data curation, validation, writing an original draft, revising and editing the manuscript. ASC: Revising and editing the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Kakou Charles Kinimo.

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Kouassi, K.M., Kinimo, K.C., Yao, K.M. et al. Water Physicochemical Characteristics and Health Risk Assessment of Trace Metals in River Mouths Along a Tropical Coastline of Gulf Guinea, West Africa. Chemistry Africa 7, 1497–1507 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42250-023-00815-z

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