From the ground up: Unveiling Ghana's soil quality crisis and its ecological and health implications
Ebenezer Ebo Yahans Amuah, Bernard Fei‐Baffoe, Raymond Webrah Kazapoe, Paul Dankwa, Isaac Okyere, Lyndon Nii Adjiri Sackey, Douti Biyogue Nang, Prosper Kpiebaya
Abstract
This study reviews the sources and factors impacting soil quality in Ghana and the associated health and environmental implications. After sourcing 386 materials from different search engines, these were subjected to content evaluation and novelty/concept analysis with a score of 100% and 146 were retained for this study. From this review, agricultural, mining, urban, and industrial activities, poor waste disposal, and vehicular and road traffic were the main sources/factors influencing the levels/distributions of soil contaminates in Ghana's pedological system. Pesticides including chlorpyrifos, β-hexachlorocyclohexane, p,p'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, hexachlorobenzene and heptachlor have also been identified in elevated levels. Also, heavy metals have been detected in dumpsites and e-waste disposal sites. HMs such as Zn (558), Cr (77), Cu (347), As (4.2), and Pb (288) (mg/kg) dominated waste disposal sites in Ghana. Extremely low levels of macro-nutrients and soil organic carbon with high metals/metalloids contents including Hg, Zn, Pb, Cu and As prevail in mining areas in Ghana. It is concluded that Ghana's pedological system is threatened by anthropogenic activities resulting in the detection of above-threshold levels of contaminants including agrochemicals, PAHs, HMs, and metalloids. These contaminants pose deleterious environmental and health implications.