Water Quality Assessment of River Bonsa in Tarkwa, a Mining-impacted Area of Ghana
Victus Bobonkey Samlafo *
Department of Chemistry Education, University of Education, Winneba, Box 25, Winneba, Ghana
Emmanuel Ofosu Ofoe
Blessed Tutorial College, Box WU 324, Kasoa, Ghana
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The suitability of River Bonsa for drinking, without any chemical treatment was assessed using a developed and robust water quality index (WQI), with modification for the river under study. In evaluating WQI, nine parameters in water quality, which were harmful to human health were considered. They were pH, dissolved oxygen, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, total hardness, total alkalinity, chlorides, sulphates and nitrates. On the basis of the computed WQI (55.054), River Bonsa fell within the poor for drinking water category. Hence the water needs to be treated before it can be drunk directly. Intensive education on water-related diseases is also needed to inform the inhabitants living along the river bank, who use the water from the river directly without any chemical treatment.
Keywords: River Bonsa, illegal mining, water quality index, Tarkwa, heavy metals