Assessing the extent of trace element pollution in soil and elucidating the potential health risks within the Wassa Traditional Area of Ghana

Abstract Non-communicable diseases are the primary cause of mortality in Ghana, and health professionals have identified modifiable behaviors such as tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, and harmful alcohol consumption as crucial factors leading to their prevalence. These practices are not the sources of the diseases but can increase the risk of non-communicable diseases. The label that a sedentary lifestyle is the cause of NCDs is also not entirely accurate since some children and elderly-poor individuals have also been diagnosed with non-communicable diseases. These people are not in that class. This paper thus examines trace elements such as arsenic (As), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) found in soils to assess their linkages with non-communicable diseases to establish their sources. The study excavated a total of 2668 soil samples from a depth of 30 cm where the samples were collected beneath the humic layer for chemical analysis. The collected samples were sieved to < 125 µm size fractions to eliminate coarser materials while 50 g portion of the finer portion was sent to ALS geochemical laboratory for ICP-MS analysis. Results obtained from ICP-MS analysis were compared against accepted baseline values to evaluate the enrichment or depletion of selected elements at each sample point. The pollution load index (PLI) and Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) were used to determine pollution status across the four selected areas within the Wassa Traditional area. The calculated PLI for As, Pb, Cu and Zn was 1.01 indicating moderate pollution levels across all four areas studied. In contrast, Igeo indicated moderate-to-heavy levels of contamination across those same areas. The percentage of elements above accepted baseline values ranged between 84.35% -95.79%, highlighting hidden dangers posed by these pollutants on population health within the study areas. Arsenic was consistently higher than other elements and is also known to contribute to NCDs like diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. The research has revealed sources contributing towards NCDs and also suggests that partnerships between Geoscientists and Medical healthcare workers can identify mitigation strategies towards reducing or eliminating NCDs thereof.