Small Scale Gold Mining And Heavy Metal Pollution Assessment of Drinking Water Sources In Datuku In The Talensi-Nabdam District.

Abstract- Most people in rural areas in sub-Saharan Africa are poverty stricken. They support their livelihoods by the exploitation of natural resources in their vicinity which often result in environmental degradation. This study was carried out in Datuku in the Talensi-Nabdam District in the Upper East region of Ghana to assess the effect of small scale gold mining on the quality of drinking water in the community. Water quality was based on physico-chemical analysis of samples collected from water source in the community. A total of seventy-two water samples were collected from surface and ground water sources in the study area for a period of six months and analysed. Generally many of the parameters analysed were well within the World Health Organisations WHO recommended limits for drinking water quality. pH ranged from 6.72 to 7.95 7.3 conductivity ranged from 204 to 1565 uscm 666.5 uscm chloride ranged from 8 to 113 mgl 44.13 mgl sulfate ranged from 4.7 to 428 mgl 39.81 mgl and 0.018 to 19.41 mgl 2.23 mgl for total iron. A few of the parameters were however above WHOs limits. Turbidity nitrate cadmium total iron manganese and arsenic levels were higher than WHOs recommended limits for drinking water quality. Turbidity ranged from 1 to 447 NTU 55 NTU nitrate ranged from 0.15 to 595 47.1 cadmium ranged from 0.005 to 0.029 mgl 0.014 mgl manganese ranged from 0.036 to 2.24 mgl 0.66 mgl and 0.001 to 0.009 mgl 0.003 mgl for arsenic.