The rate at which freshwater sources are being contaminated by mining operations in the South-Western part of Ghana is alarming. However, no study has quantified the degree of contamination of the freshwater in such areas thus, leaving a gap in the literature that requires immediate attention. This study assessed the quality of the surface and groundwater in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality. Even though the physical parameters such as pH and electrical conductivity were indicative of safe freshwater, other parameters such as turbidity, total suspended solids (TSS), dissolved oxygen (DO), and heavy metals in the water sources were high; thus, confirming possible leaching, runoff, and dissolution of the hazardous substances employed in the manganese mining operations. The water quality of 82% of the water sources along the Kawere Stream was low (Classes III and IV). Therefore, the local people are at risk of contracting water-related diseases, and health problems associated with the ingestion of Fe, As, and Mn. The findings in this study are important in establishing the rate at which mining operations are reducing the quality of freshwater in developing countries, and potentially affecting human health.

The use of bauxite to remove arsenic from wastewater has been confirmed to be effective, but its removal efficiency in literature is not up to 90%, hence, the need to devise a more effective method to remove arsenic from wastewater. In this study, a novel material was prepared by thermally modifying and blending yellow and red lateritic bauxite to form thermally modified and blended yellow and red lateritic bauxite (TYB + TRB). The adsorption isotherm, morphology and chemical composition of the novel material were determined by the Langmuir and Freundlich models, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), respectively. Application of the novel material in arsenic removal resulted in >97% removal efficiency within 60 min. The arsenic adsorption by TYB + TRB conformed to the Freundlich model. The SEM image depicted a compacted earth material after use of the TYB + TRB to remove arsenic from the wastewater. The XRF results also showed a drastic reduction in the chemical composition of the novel bauxite except Ti, thus suggesting the occurrence of multiple mechanisms during the arsenic removal. This study demonstrated the potential of TYB + TRB to be developed and used as the most suitable material for wastewater treatment.

The main environmental problem in Kumasi is water pollution, but little is done about this. Neither water quality nor the degree of heavy metal contamination in Kumasi has been assessed. The degree of mercury and lead pollution in Kumasi was investigated in this study by determining the geo-accumulation index, the contamination factor, and the water quality index (WQI) of mercury and lead in selected rivers in Kumasi. Mercury and lead concentrations were the highest in the Aboabo River, particularly, in the Anloga area. This was attributed largely to electronic waste dumping, collection, and processing in the area. The WQI of the rivers indicated that the water was unsuitable for drinking. It is also shown that the water should not be used for crop cultivation or animal rearing, which are among the anthropogenic activities that are both carried out along the rivers, to limit risk to human health.