Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) contamination and ecological risk of sediment in the upper course of the Ankobra River, Ghana

Metals, when introduced into a high pH aquatic environment, generally sink into bottom sediments and can pose a direct and indirect threat to aquatic organisms as well as humans. The concentrations of ten heavy metals (Mn, Fe, Cd, Cu, Cr, Pb, Hg, As, Zn, and Al) in the surface sediment samples from the upper part of the Ankobra, which is an illegal mining (Galamsey) prone area, were assessed in both the dry and wet seasons. To ascertain the quality of sediments, sediment quality indices, including enrichment factor (EF), index of geo-accumulation (I-geo), and modified pollution index (MPI), were employed. A comprehensive potential ecological risk assessment was also carried out using the consensus-based sediment quality guideline (CBSQG) as well as the modified potential ecological risk index (MPERI). In general, the sediment is considered to be “slightly” to “moderately” polluted in the dry season as well as “moderately” to “heavily’’ polluted in the wet season. The potential ecological risk of the metals in the sediments was within the considerable to high-risk grade for Hg, moderate to considerable risk for Cd, low to moderate risk for As, and low risk for Cu, Cr, Pb, and Zn. The order of decreasing potential ecological risk for the metals is Hg > Cd > As > Cu > Pb > Cr > Zn and the risk in the wet season was higher than that in the dry season.