Climate change and its health implications at Bongo District of Upper East Region of Ghana

Changes in climate features such as rainfall and temperature have impacts on health and the understanding of the climate changes has the ability to mitigate many of the climate-related diseases. Climate in the Upper East Region is changing and has been validated by appraising rainfall and temperature data for the region from 1954-2014, including the Bongo District and relationship of health data were compared with the climate data. There was relatively steady increase in temperature from 1954-1982 with sharp temperature variations between minimum and peak temperature ranges from 1983-2014. Rainfall amounts showed drastic variations for peak months instead of a same month showing maximum amount of rains irrespective of the year. Using the regression analysis to determine trends showed some diseases to relate to some climate features. The study found diarrhea, skin diseases, malaria, and upper respiratory diseases to increase and relate to climate. It also identified malnutrition to decrease, which may have indirect relationship with changing climate. Causes of some health issues in the district has been recognized to have links of the changing climate of which knowledge of it will help in public health sensitization to mitigate the occurrence and recurrence of the climate-related diseases. Keywords: Climate change, Health, Malaria, Temperature anomaly, Diarrhea, Bong

Trace Elements Assessments using Pollution Load Index and Spatial Maps Towards the Development of Environmental Policies Against the Impacts of the Natural Environment on Primary Health, Nadowli District-NW Ghana

Distributions and concentrations of trace elements at the surface environments are controlled by the natural environment and landuse. To identify the hazardous trace element areas in the study areas pollution load index (PLI) and spatial maps were used in the trace elements distributions and concentrations. Both the PLI and spatial maps used as assessment techniques both employ the contamination factors (CF) of the analysed trace elements at a sample station differently in establishing the degrees of pollution and contaminations. Twenty nine stations were sampled for trace elements contents. The PLI evaluation technique identified extreme arsenic (As) pollution of 5.39E+20 at the artisan mine and 5.62 fold-As pollution at the farmland areas. The spatial maps developed from the CF values recognized As, Co, Cr, Pb and Se to be contaminated at both artisan mine and farmland areas.  Mercury (Hg) contaminations were found at some sampling stations at the artisan mine areas whilst Mo contaminations were recognized at some localities at the farmland areas. The source of Hg contaminations may be the use of Hg as a regent in extracting gold from the mine ore and Mo enrichment may be an attribute of fertilizers use to boost crop yields (particularly the use of ammonium molybdate fertilizer for crop growth). The combined assessment technique was effective in determining the overall polluted environments and also portrayed geographical contaminated areas for an environmental concern against public health. Keywords: Artisan, farmland, trace elements, contamination, pollution

Gold in Plant: A Biogeochemical Approach in Detecting Gold Anomalies Undercover- A Case Study at Pelangio Gold Project at Mamfo Area of Brong Ahafo, Ghana

Many plants have the ability to take up gold from soils and accumulate them in their tissues. Their concentrations and distributions reflect the nearby gold deposits masked by complex regolith. The 50 vegetation samples collected at Pelangio Tepa concession recorded low and subtle gold (Au) concentrations of 0.2 to 10.4 ppb at Pokukrom target, 0.3 to 28.3 ppb at Nfante East target and 0.1 to 1.7 ppb at Subriso target. Each target area had different concentration populations enough to distinguish the anomalous areas from the background contrary to Au-geochemical expressions derived from the gold in soils. So many uncertainties were placed on the soil-Au-geochemistry because the defined anomalies were not strong and generally appear patchy, weak and subtle that led to the assumption of no associated bedrock mineralisation. The gold in plant samples confirmed the Pokukrom anomaly that has been drilled and known to relate to underlying mineralisation. Much better and robust anomaly was defined by the biogeochemical Au data in plants sampled and analysed for Au at Nfante East target and isolated high patchy anomalies were identified at Subriso area. The case study at Pelangio Mamfo project reveals and recommends the significant application of biogeochemistry in mineral exploration particularly in the field of gold prospecting at the regional exploration stage and endorses it as being practically feasible in regolith-dominated terrains where regolith-landform modifications may impact on the true geochemistry in anomaly delineation. Keywords: Biogeochemistry, Regolith-Dominated-Terrain, Plant, Gold, Pelangi

TRACE ELEMENT GEOCHEMISTRY OF A REUSED ILLICIT MINE AREA FOR AN AGRICULTURAL PURPOSE IN NADOWLI DISTRICT OF NW GHANA

ABSTRACT Trace elements in soils depending on the pathways, mode of exposure and concentrations can be essential or non-essential to human-life developments. However there are some that are potentially toxic. Mobilization of the trace elements can be influenced by environmental conditions. Whilst others cause depletion others contributes to metal-ion enrichments that generally depends on surface processes and the prevailing human activities in the area. The 18 trace elements analysed from the 154 soil samples collected and studied; 2 chalcophile elements As and Cd listed among the potentially toxic elements (PTEs) were identified to be extremely and moderated polluted. Enrichment factors (EF) of 42.3 and 1.45 were computed for these 2 PTEs. On the contrary the essential elements Cu, Ni and Zn required for human metabolism rather showed depletions of 10.5, 24.0 and 21.0 respectively. Copper, Ni and Zn had computed geoaccumulation indeces (Igeo) of 0.17, 0.14 and 0.14 representing no-pollution. The quantities of these essential trace elements may not be enough for human and animal metabolisms and the non-essential PTEs may be detrimental to human health. Average concentrations of trace elements, essential and non-essential elements alike have not been published for the District. Besides the relationships between trace elements and health had not been thoroughly investigated so there is the need for geoscientists to intensify research on trace elements in the environment and together with professionals in public health so as to identify health issues arising from trace elements in the environment.

Use of regolith geochemistry to delineate gold mineralisation under cover: a case study in the Lawra belt, NW Ghana

The Birimian rocks of southern Ghana host world-class gold deposits yet no equivalent-sized deposit has been found in the Birimian rocks in northwest Ghana. The reported gold occurrences in the area suggest a favourable environment for concealed mineralisation if the regolith and landscape evolution can be unravelled. A geochemical exploration model based on the evolution of the regolith-landform can help guide the choice of exploration methodology appropriate for the region. The developed regolith map classifies the landscape into ferruginous (F), relict (R), erosional (E) and depositional (D) domains. Depositional areas cover 72% whereas the remaining 28% represents residual environments. Discrimination, characterisation and identification of regolith materials were carried out by pit and outcrop mapping. Regolith geochemical data provided regolith profile information which helped to distinguish residual regolith from transported types. Binary plots of major and trace element geochemical data were used to determine the compositional variability and different regolith types. Superimposing geochemical data on the regolith map identified residual and transported anomalies, and thus prioritized the weak, subtle and discontinuous anomalies. Gold, Ag and As relations in the regolith were also useful in determining the anomaly type and presence of gold mineralisation. High Au-low Ag with smooth dispersal patterns represents residual anomalies whereas spiky dispersion patterns with high Au-high Ag characterize transported anomalies. The released As into the regolith appears counteracted by the precipitation of Fe-oxyhydroxides, which efficiently scavenge As3+ and As5+ at neutral pH in the regolith, resulting in the weak As concentrations in the analysed samples. Hence it may not be an appropriate pathfinder element for Au in the study area. The regolith mapping techniques devised for the study can be used to map complex regolith terrains. The landscape evolution model developed for the area will provide useful insight into the irregular distribution of the regolith and help in designing exploration techniques suitable for the Lawra belt and similar complex regolith terrains of the savannah regions