Mineral elements in colostrum play crucial roles in neonatal growth and development. This study assessed the concentrations of ten essential mineral elements in the colostrum of moderately preterm and full-term mothers in Ghana, and examined their associations with maternal characteristics. A total of 47 mothers provided single 12 mL colostrum samples collected between postpartum days 1 to 4 using standardized, aseptic manual expression procedures. The samples were digested and analyzed using ICP-OES. Statistical analyses included tests for normality, Spearman correlation, and group comparisons using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. The concentrations ranged from 0.1 ± 0.0 mg/L (Se) to 602.6 ± 77.6 mg/L (K). Significant positive correlations were observed among several mineral pairs. Notably, potassium levels were significantly associated with maternal employment status (p = 0.047), and zinc levels were significantly related to maternal parity (p = 0.028). Although differences between preterm and full-term samples were not statistically significant, preterm colostrum showed trends of higher zinc and potassium concentrations. Compared to global data, the Ghanaian samples exhibited relatively elevated levels of phosphorus, sodium, and selenium. These findings provide foundational data on early breast milk composition in Ghana and highlight maternal and gestational factors that may influence neonatal mineral intake.

Biomass smoke exposure represents a critical health concern, especially for those in occupational settings such as fish smoking. While substantial research has addressed indoor air pollution from domestic cooking, the specific risks faced by fish smokers have received insufficient attention. This study sheds light on the alarming relationship between smoke exposure and health issues among commercial fish smokers in Abuesi, Ghana. Through a comprehensive cross-sectional analysis involving 302 participants, we utilized structured questionnaires and expert eye assessments to gather vital data. Our statistical evaluation, including descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and chi-square tests, revealed a troubling prevalence of respiratory symptoms such as cough, asthma, and breathlessness, all significantly linked to prolonged smoke exposure. Eye health findings were equally concerning, with distant vision impairment affecting 26.37%, eye discomfort reported at 53.02%, and notable rates of cataracts (28.6%) and refractive errors (17.9%). For those suffering from breathlessness, asthma, and pneumonia, the data indicated that longer exposure durations correlated with more severe health outcomes. Specifically, subjects without breathlessness had an average smoking duration of 14.84 years (SD = 12.29) compared to just 10.26 years (SD = 11.15) for those with the symptom—a statistically significant P -value of .014. Asthma and pneumonia exhibited similar trends, highlighting a distressing reality: shorter smoking histories align with more severe health conditions, suggesting that such symptoms might drive smokers to abandon their practices prematurely. Given the serious health risks tied to traditional fish smoking practices, this study strongly advocates for the implementation of improved smoking technologies, better ventilation systems, and comprehensive health education initiatives. These measures are essential to safeguard the health of those involved in this vital industry and reduce exposure to hazardous smoke.

The artisanal industry contributes significantly to the growth and development of many emerging economies in Africa. These people work under strenuous conditions, with personal protective equipment (PPE) that appears to be the last measure of protection yet remains inadequate. This study aimed to assess the hazards facing welders operating at the Sunyani garages in the Bono Region of Ghana. A mixed-method approach was adopted for this study, combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. Focus group discussions were held with master craft persons about the profession, as well as transect walks, interactions, and personal observations of their welding activities. The quantitative approach entailed the administration of structured questionnaires to 190 out of 300 welders working in the Sunyani garages. The results showed that nearly half of the respondents (49.2 %) were young men, aged 21–30 years, while 62.1 % of respondents had working experience up to 10 years, and 73.1 % had education up to senior high school. Welders who used eye PPE were in the majority (82 %), and they reported fewer eye problems (112 out of 190). Only 28 % of eye PPE users reported eye sickness, compared with 70.6 % of non-eye PPE users who reported eye problems. Differences between their health outcomes were statistically significant (p < 0.0001). Among participants who used eye PPE, at least 76 % of them had high-school education and only about 7 % of them were illiterate, compared to 12.9 % of non-PPE users. About 60 % of the respondents had never had any major accident at the workplace. Accident occurrences were relatively fewer with new entrants to the profession. New entry into the profession could thus account for the fewer accident experiences of untrained workers. Few welders had undergone professional training (18 %) or safety training (22 %). As many of the welders were young and also fairly new on the job, it is recommended that professional and safety training courses be organized for them from time to time to equip them with new trends in the profession and for prospects in the growing industry.

During breastfeeding, the human breasts secrete three different kinds of milk. Research indicates that newborns exposed to organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) during developmental stages, even at low concentrations, may suffer irreparable harm. The study aimed to ascertain whether OCPs levels in human milk vary across lactational stages. University of Health and Allied Sciences Research Ethics Committee (UHAS- REC) examined and approved the study protocol. 47 volunteers were chosen using purposive sampling. Each participant donated 15 ml of each type of breast milk. Colostrum was taken shortly after delivery up to day 4, transitional milk between day 5 and two weeks postpartum, while mature milk was taken two weeks afterwards. A modified version of QuEChERS was used to process 10.0 g aliquot of each breast milk sample, and the resulting extracts analysed for OCPs employing a Gas Chromatograph, Varian CP 3800, fitted with electron capture detector (ECD). The detection threshold was not reached for any of the six OCPs tested. This implied that none of the breast milk components analysed in this study contained any detectable levels of OCPs that might have posed any serious health risks to the infants through breastfeeding. Aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, and heptachlor were not found in detectable quantities in mothers’ milk during the three stages of lactation. Our findings are encouraging. The study’s findings likely show that the Stockholm Convention’s campaign to remove POPs from the environment seems to be yielding positive impact.

Classical methods of treatment of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in environmental matrices such as soil encapsulation, high-temperature heating, thermal desorption, and chemical decontamination, have been costly, and they leave behind problems of environmental footprints. They must therefore give way to bioremediation techniques which are less costly and result in ecofriendly products. The aim of the study was to assess the suitability of PCB degrading bacteria (using published data) from their environmental matrix for use in environmental bioremediation. Initial isolation of the bacteria was obtained by culturing ash samples taken from the combustion chamber of an MP400 Incinerator of infectious waste at Komfo Anokye Teaching hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, Ghana, and composite soil samples taken from a transformer-servicing site at an electricity substation in Sunyani, Ghana. Test for thermotolerance was carried out by the culturing of bacteria from the soil samples and exposing them to higher temperatures (55 degrees C and 65 degrees C) to assess their resilience in an incubator for 48 h. Growing cultures were sub-cultured, after which a cocktail of bacteria isolate characterization assays was carried out on the growing isolates. These included biochemical tests on the bacterial suspensions using the analytical profile index (API 20E) for examining Enterobacteriaceae and other non-fastidious bacteria. This was followed by MALDI-ToF-MS analyses of the bacterial strains to profile and image their proteins. A molecular step was needed which was the conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, using specific primer pairs, to amplify and accentuate sections of the bacterial DNA extracts. Results of the study showed a confirmed sample site in Ghana for harvesting bacteria capable of degrading polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). MALDI-ToF-MS analyses revealed the possible species as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus cereus. The conventional PCR and gel electrophoresis steps confirmed the presence of bph genes encoding the 2,3-dioxygenase enzymes in bacteria with PCB-degrading ability as documented in published data. The serial dilution of the bacterial suspensions was modified from 10-7 to 10-5 which was enough for distinct colonies to be counted, and it was a novel contribution to environmental microbiology. The confirmation of Pseudomonas and Bacillus species isolated from a transformer oil-impacted soil in this study shows promise in growing these strains in various environmental media such as in a gaseous medium to mineralize gas -phase PCBs from combustion smoke or in bottom ash residues to degrade solidphase PCBs. It can also be applied in bioremediation of waste liquid systems containing PCBs.

Occupational exposure to smoke and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) poses significant health risks, especially for commercial fish smokers who are regularly exposed to high levels of smoke and particulate matter. This study aimed to evaluate the exposure levels and assess the health risks associated with PAHs, phenols, phthalates, and substituted benzenes among 155 fish smokers in Ghana. A total of 155 urine samples from fish smokers across selected coastal regions in Ghana were collected and analyzed. The sample preparation was conducted using the Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERs) method, as standardized by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (A.O.A.C.). Analysis was performed utilizing the Shimadzu GC-MS QP 2020. The type of firewood used by fish smokers significantly influenced the levels of PAHs detected in the urine samples. Hardwoods such as odum, acacia, and cocoa, with their dense structures and combustion characteristics, were found to produce higher levels of PAHs. In contrast, softer woods like sugar cane and palm kernel released lower PAH levels during combustion. The findings indicate that fish smokers utilizing various wood types and unfiltered ovens, specifically the "Chorkor Oven," are exposed to elevated levels of PAHs, phenols, phthalates, and substituted benzenes through inhalation during work hours. Cancer risk assessments revealed risk levels for PAHs ranging from 6.00E-04 to 4.14E-01, phenols from 0.00E+00 to 3.70E-01, substituted benzenes from 9.04E-08 to 1.99E-01, and phthalates from 3E-04 to 2.09E+04. These values exceed the limits by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.E.P.A.) of 10E-06. Furthermore, the estimated non-cancer hazard quotient values for hydrocarbons ranged from 8.42E+00 to 1.99E+01, all exceeding the threshold of 1, as outlined by both the U.S.E.P.A. and the World Health Organization (WHO), indicating substantial potential health risks for commercial fish smokers.

Unregulated mining drives considerable long-term soil and water pollution with increased health risks to humans and other organisms. The main objective of this study is to assess the water quality, physicochemical parameters, heavy metal content, and health risks of borehole water from selected mining communities in Ghana. Quality parameters of 56 borehole water samples collected from 19 mining communities in the Amansie West District, Ghana were carried out. The study is one of the few studies to be carried out in the district because of its breadth of communities, depth of analysis, and scale of health risk assessments performed. Physicochemical parameters including pH, conductivity, turbidity, total dissolved solids, and color were evaluated using standard and appropriate methods. Additionally, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury were evaluated using an atomic absorption spectrometer. Observed mean physicochemical parameters varied from 5.1 to 6.5 pH, 59.3 to 325 mu S/cm conductivity, 1.4 to 86.4 NTU turbidity, 32.5-214 mg/L total dissolved solids, and 2.5-250 Hz color. Also, the mean concentration of the heavy metals varied from 1.6 +/- 2.24 to 169.14 +/- 2.18 mu g/L arsenic, 0.6 +/- 2.24 to 6.0 +/- 0.71 mu g/L cadmium, 1.25 +/- 2.00 to 15.60 +/- 1.11 mu g/L lead and 0.025 +/- 2.00 to 3.33 +/- 0.17 mu g/L mercury. There was no statistically significant link between arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury at 0.05 concentrations predicting source diversities. Though some samples met WHO quality standards, others were unsafe with increased health risks due to color, turbidity, acidity, and high arsenic issues. In conclusion, this study observed an increased health risk in some selected sampled communities due to exposure to mining-influenced contam- inations from heavy metals and particulate matter. This implies that without urgent mining waste disposal regulations, scarcity of quality water and increased risk to health issues could be imminent.

The occurrence of pharmaceuticals and xenoestrogen compounds (PXCs) in drinking water presents a dire human health risk challenge. The problem stems from the high anthropogenic pollution load on source water and the inefficiencies of the conventional water treatment plants in treating PXCs. This study assessed the PXCs levels and the consequential health risks of exposure to tap water from selected Ghanaian communities as well as that of raw water samples from the respective treatment plants. Thus the PXCs treatment efficiency of two drinking water treatment plants in the metropolises studied was also assessed. The study also conducted source apportionment of the PXCs in the tap water. Twenty six (26) tap and raw water samples from communities in the Cape Coast and Sekondi-Takoradi metropolises were extracted using SPE cartridges and analysed for PXCs using Ultra-fast-HPLC-UV instrument. Elevated levels of PXCs up to 24.79 and 22.02 mu g/L were respectively recorded in raw and tap water samples from the metropolises. Consequently, elevated non-cancer health risk (HI > 1) to residential adults were found for tap water samples from Cape Coast metropolis and also for some samples from Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis. Again, elevated cumulative oral cancer risks >10(-5) and dermal cancer risk up to 4 x 10(-5) were recorded. The source apportionment revealed three significant sources of PXCs in tap water samples studied. The results revealed the inefficiency of the treatment plants in removing PXCs from the raw water during treatments. The situation thus requires urgent attention to ameliorate it, safeguarding public health. It is recommended that the conventional water treatment process employed be augmented with advanced treatment technologies to improve their efficacy in PXCs treatment.

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) represent a category of synthetic organic chemical contaminants that have garnered increasing attention due to their potential adverse impacts. Existing research underscores the contamination of human breast milk by PFAS, raising concerns regarding potential deleterious health effects in children.The study aimed to explore the levels of some PFAS in human breast milk in a previously unstudied population to determine the extent of infants’ exposure.The research was conducted at Ho Teaching Hospital in Ghana. The study protocol was reviewed and approval by University of Health and Allied Sciences Ethics Research Committee (UHAS-REC). Twenty-nine (29) mothers, aged 18–44 years, were enrolled in the research. Sample collection spanned from December 28, 2020 to June 30, 2021. Ten millilitres (10 mL) of breast milk were collected from each participant into cleaned bottles from day of birth to after two weeks postpartum, following a standardized protocol and stored at −20 °C. Sample preparation and analysis employed solid phase extraction methodology. Subsequently, the processed extracts were subjected to analysis using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC-MS/MS). The data obtained were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 26, Excel 2016, and Xlstat 2022. Descriptive statistics were employed to summarize the study variables. The mean/mode input method was used to treat missing data. The median and interquartile range (IQR) of PFAS concentrations in the breast milk were: PFHxA, 6.0 ng/L(IQR, 2.2 ng/L), PFHpA, 5.6 ng/L(IQR, 2.1 ng/L), PFOA, 72.0 ng/L(IQR, 16.0 ng/L), and PFOS, 93.0 ng/L(IQR, 8.0 ng/L) ng/L) respectively. PFOS and PFOA were the most dominant PFAS in the breast milk which is consistent with worldwide reports.The levels of PFAS, particularly PFOS and PFOA, in breast milk points to seemingly high levels of PFAS exposure and contamination of mothers and neonates in the region.

This study explore the characteristics of heavy metal pollution, contamination levels, and potential ecological risks in riverine sediments found in both gold mining and pristine areas. Such investigations are vital for the ongoing monitoring and preservation of water bodies and overall ecosystem health. In total, 44 composite sediment samples were collected from seven pristine environments and four mining sites. These samples underwent preparation, digestion, and analysis for heavy metal content, utilizing the inductively coupled plasma emission mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). Various tools and models, including the geo-accumulation index, enrichment factor, and degree of contamination, were employed to assess the impact of pollution on the environment. Modified ecological risk index were also used to evaluate potential ecological risks. The average concentrations of heavy metals in pristine sites spanned from 0.01+0.01 (Cd) to 73,753.64 + 388.15 mgkg-1 (Fe), while in mining sites, they ranged from 0.04+0.02 (Cd) to 56,394.25+400.66 mgkg-1 (Fe). Comparing these concentrations against the USEPA Ecological Screening Values, Mean Shales levels, and the Canadian ISQG, it became evident that Pb, Cd, Zn, Ni, Co, and Mn concentrations generally remained below the recommended guideline values in both pristine and mining areas. However, concentrations of Cr, As, Cu, and Hg exceeded the prescribed threshold limits, particularly in the mining regions. Through Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Geometrical Analysis for Interactive Aid (GAIA) modeling, two primary sources of heavy metals were identified: anthropogenic-related and geogenic-related. GAIA and PCA together explained 78.53 % and 79.40 % of the total variability in heavy metal concentrations, respectively. Overall, the pollution and ecological risk assessment indicated low to moderate contamination levels, with a notable exception of high arsenic contamination in the Nyam river. The findings of this study hold significance for assessing sediment conditions and river quality in mining communities within Ghana and globally. They also provide empirical data to recommend measures for mitigating water contamination in such communities.

ABSTRACTABSTRACTEndocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and potentially toxic elements (PTEs) pose risks to human health, here assessed in soils from a municipal dump, an industrial site, agricultural use and a forest reserve. Across the spectrum, there are significant variations in PTEs and EDCs, and arsenic had minimum and maximum values of 2.58 and 2455.75 mg/kg, respectively. Carcinogenic exposure risks, ingestion cancer risks and toxic elements are also assessed.KEYWORDS: Toxic elementsendocrine disruptorssoils Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Correction StatementThis article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Introduction: The human breast secretes three types of milk during lactation - colostrum, transitional milk and mature milk However, like any other biofluid, human breast milk is not pristine. Objectives: The objectives of this study was to determine the levels of polychlorinated biphenyls congeners in colostrum, transitional milk and mature milk of mothers at the Ho Teaching Hospital to ascertain which portion contained the highest levels of PCPBs that could pose any significant health risks to neonates. Methodology: A cross-sectional study design was employed to conduct the study at the Ho Teaching Hospital. Protocol for the study was reviewed and approved by the University of Health and Allied Sciences Research Ethics Committee (UHAS-REC). The study recruited forty-seven (47) mothers using purposive sampling. About 10.0 g of each aliquot of colostrum, transitional milk and mature milk were treated using a modified form of QuEChERS to extract PCBs and the resulting extract analyzed for fourteen (14) PCB congeners using GC/MS/MS. Results: Fourteen (14) PCB congeners were examined in all the 141 breast samples, which represented three different types of human milk. All samples had levels that were below thresholds of detection. The lack of PCB residues in the examined samples may be viewed as positive news. It might suggest that the mothers were only minimally exposed to these industrial pollutants. Conclusion: At any stage of lactation, no PCBs were found in the breast milk samples. As a result, there were no obvious health concerns for breastfed infants from the levels of PCBs found in the samples of breast milk that were examined. The result is good news for international efforts to eliminate PCBs in the environment and on people.

This paper is one of series of papers assessing the suitability of formulating titanium dioxide climate smart Portland cement in developing countries using locally available cementitious material like kaolin. In this paper, authors highlight extraction of titanium dioxide from kaolin deposits in the Central Region, Ghana using selective flocculation techniques and later used to formulate climate-smart cement. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) a photocatalytic ingredient which studies from developed countries have shown that when nano-sized of it is added to cement is able to reduce smog-forming air pollutants, keep surfaces of buildings clean and resist sulphate attack. However, developing countries with weak economies and low technologies are not able to utilize nano-size TiO2 in the formulation of climate-smart cement. It is within this context that this study was undertaken. About 450 g of 53 lm kaolin samples were treated with dispersing agents such as sodium polyacrylate and sodium silicate in excess amount so as to produce maximum deflocculation of the kaolinite particles. The percentage of titanium dioxide extracted ranges from 86.1% for kaolin samples from Saltpond to 91.8% for kaolin samples from Assin Foso respectively; which was later used to formulate climate-smart Portland cement. The ability of the formulated TiO2-ordinary Portland climate smart cement to degrade Rhodamine B dye was tested. Mortar pastes containing various percentages of TiO2-climate smart Portland cement with Rhodamine B dye were exposed to sunlight for 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h respectively. The test results indicate that addition of TiO2 extracted from kaolin and used to synthesize climate -smart ordinary Portland cement is able to degrade air pollutants from vehicular exhaust such as PAHs, and as such its use in the construction industry can improve the durability of buildings and for that matter the socio-economic development of the region as well as Ghana as a whole. (C) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of 2022 International Conference on Recent Advances in Engineering Materials.

Selected endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) were measured in adult female menstrual blood for the first time in Ghana, Africa, taking into account the importance of non-invasive means of matrices sampling in vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women, the elderly or chronically ill people. The menstrual blood samples of twenty (20) female adults between the ages of 25–45 years were sampled. The Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe (QuEChERS) method was applied for the extraction and clean up, while gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to measure the selected EDCs in adult female menstrual blood, taking into account the composition of menstrual discharge. Diethyl phthalate (DEP), Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were detected in all samples, whereas bisphenol A (BPA) was found in 13 participants. Dimethyl phthalate (DMP) was detected in 7 participants, Di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP) was detected in 3 participants, Bis (2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA) and pyrimidine were detected in 2 participants, while benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) was detected in only 1 participant. The maximum concentration of DEP measured was 115.6 µg.L-1and the minimum was 439 µg.L-1. DEHP was the next most abundant phthalate with a maximum measured concentration of 982 µg.L-1 and minimum of 95 µg.L-1. The presence of parent phthalates (rather than metabolites) in menstrual blood of all participants studied suggests that bioaccumulation of selected phthalate compounds such as DEHP, DEP and DBP may be occurring with appreciable human toxicity though the carcinogenic exposure risks of DEHP via various routes were much lower than 1 × 10−6 considered to be very low.

The present study employed epiphytic lichens as biomonitor and passive air sampler for the assessment of fifteen (15) atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in some major cities in three regions of Ghana. A total of 36 composite lichen samples were collected and analysed using Gas Chromatography - Tandem Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS-MS). The total PAH recorded ranged between 1909.9 ng/kg (A36) and 250,091.4 ng/kg (W15). Due to the inherent deficiencies in using a single source apportionment tool, multiple source apportionment methods including diagnostic ratios, principal component analysis/absolute principal component scores (PCA-APCS) and APCS with automatic linear model (APCS–ALM) were used to ascertain the source of PAHs in the lichens. The diagnostic ratios revealed a mix source of wood/grass and petrol/petroleum fuel combustion, with the major source ascribing to wood/grass combustion. The source apportionment confirmatory statistical test conducted with the PCA-APCS and APCS–ALM, were in good agreement with the diagnostic ratio. Both PCA-APCS and APCS–ALM suggested two significant sources (p < 0.0), with wood/grass combustion as the major (contributing 77.8%) and mix petroleum related sources being the other with 22.2% contribution of PAHs to the receptor sites. The study found PCA-APCS and especially APCS–ALM to be an effective statistical tool for PAH source apportionment in passive air samplers. To our knowledge, this is the first use of lichens for PAH monitoring in the country. Therefore, this study could serve as an inexpensive and real time bio-monitoring tool for air quality assessment in the African sub-region and the world at large.

Population growth and urbanisation are contributing to the growth of the use of pesticides in Africa. However, poor understanding of the health and environmental effects of these chemicals represents a significant risk to both human health and ecosystems. Knowledge of health effects of pesticide use and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) was assessed using 300 respondents in three communities of Ghana. The data were fitted to bivariate and multivariate ordinary least squares regression models. About 76 per cent of the respondents used pesticides while 82 per cent had no knowledge of human diseases associated with pesticide use and EDCs. At the bivariate level, individuals who used pesticides had less knowledge of health effects of EDCs and pesticide use compared to their counterparts who did not use pesticides. Urban residents had more knowledge compared to rural dwellers and this robust relationship persisted at the multivariate level. Females of all ages had more knowledge of pesticides and EDCs’ effects than their male conterparts. Formal and informal education is required to improve knowledge on appropriate chemical use.

Abstract The Central Region of Ghana is endowed with rich kaolin deposits with immense potential industrial application which largely remain untapped due to limited information on geochemical properties. This paper assessed the geological composition of kaolin deposits with the view of elucidating their use in the formulation of climate-smart Portland cement. Four kaolin deposits in the Central Region were randomly selected and 20g each of 90mm of the kaolin samples from the selected deposits were analysed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) for the mineralogical composition and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) for the elemental composition. The results from the XRF determination were used in the principal component analysis. It was also used to compute geochemical indices, such as chemical index of alteration (CIA), chemical index of weathering (CIW) and the index of compositional variability (ICV) to determine the intensity of weathering of the kaolin as well as identify the different rock types from which they originated. The chemical index of alteration (CIA) values ranges from 86.7% (kaolin deposits in Ekon) to 95.8% (kaolin deposits in Saltpond), which suggest an extreme silicate weathering of feldspars; the chemical index of weathering (CIW) values obtained also ranged from 96.6% to 98.6%, which indicate an increasing degree of weathering; index of compositional variability (ICV) varies from 0.19 to 0.66 as well as low K2O/Al2O3 ratios indicate that kaolin deposits in the study area is compositionally mature and are rich in kaolinite. The geochemical characteristics of studied kaolin suggest that, they can be used in the ceramic, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, paper and other industries. Also, the high concentration of titanium dioxide found as anatasse reduce the quality of the kaolin which needs to be removed. The removed titanium dioxide can then be used in the formulation of climate-smart cement.

An incinerator is designed to burn combustible waste materials such as municipal solid waste and infectious waste into inert ash. The design reduces waste volumes and subsequently destroys pathogens. A gas filtering unit is designed, constructed, and fitted on an existing incinerator for cleaning the smoke from medical waste treatment. Its main components are a framework whose material is made of galvanized diamond, three wire meshes, made of steel, to serve as filter bed supports, an inlet and 2 sampling holes of diameter 1.5cm beneath the wire meshes, and an outlet and 2 sampling holes of 1.5 cm above the wire meshes. As part of the gas filter design considerations, the amounts of dry volumetric gas discharged during combustion, and of particulate matter produced per cycle of combustion in the chosen incinerator were estimated to be 12,051.86 m3 /cycle, and 2.17 kg PM/cycle of incineration respectively. The novelty in this design consisted in adapting the impingement plate type of wet scrubbing unit for dry adsorption of organic pollutants in smoke using locally-activated charcoal powder. The incorporation of powdered activated charcoal in the filter unit as adsorbent material significantly reduces the emission of harmful pollutants into the atmosphere. As a result, pollution of the environment is minimized. The smoke was sampled before and after filtration, and the samples were later tested in the laboratory for 14 polychlorinated biphenyls, namely PCB 18, PCB 28, PCB 31, PCB 44, PCB 52, PCB 101, PCB 118, PCB 138, PCB 149, PCB 153, PCB 170, PCB 180, PCB 194 and PCB 209. The three charcoal filter beds used in the evaluation study achieved target pollutant reductions in smoke ranging from 2.03 % - 71.85%. An Air Pollution Control Device with such pollutant reductions should justify the continued use of incinerators if they are properly mounted and secured on the incinerators and can curb the problem of air pollution from point sources.

The Oti Basin is located at northeastern part of Ghana. Two major geological formations of Voltaian sedimentary supergroup exist: Kwahu-Morago and Oti-Pendjari groups. A total of 133 groundwater samples and 7 surface water samples were collected for two major seasons, viz. dry season (February, 2020) and wet season (November, 2020), and analysed for cations and anions. This is to determine the sources of ions, including pollutants and the reactions that promote them for sustainable groundwater management. Results of major ions revealed groundwater is potable base on the WHO permissible limits. Wet season nitrate and sulphate were higher than that of dry season, suggesting anthropogenic influence. Pearson’s correlation shows major contributors of total dissolved solids were Mg, Na and HCO 3 with a correlation ( r = 0.439, 0.874 and 0. 945) respectively. In the wet season, major contributors were TH, Mg, Na, SO 4 and HCO 3 with correlation ( r = 0.548, 0.537, 0.856, 0.530 and 0.936) respectively. Gibbs plot suggests chemical weathering and precipitation to be the main contributors to the water chemistry. The dominant hydrochemical facies within the basin for both seasons was Na–K-HCO 3 water type. The plot of Ca 2+ + Mg 2+ vs. HCO3 − + SO4 2− suggests both silicate weathering and ion exchange processes are taking place within the basin. Mineral stability diagrams signify kaolinite as the most stable mineral phase in the groundwater. Chloro-alkaline indices were negative for both seasons leading to base-exchanged softened water production . Consequently, majority of ions evolved from natural geochemical processes whilst nitrate and sulphate presence might be due to anthropogenic sources.