|
Abstract
|
Article Information:
The Origin of Fluoride in Groundwaters of the Paleozoic Sedimentary Formations of Ghana-A Preliminary Study in Gushiegu District
Anim-Gyampo Maxwell, Zango Musah Saeed and Apori Ntiforo
Corresponding Author: Anim-Gyampo Maxwell
Submitted: March 10, 2012
Accepted: April 14, 2012
Published: May 15, 2012 |
Abstract:
|
The occurrence of dental fluorosis and dental carries due to the occurrence of elevated fluorides in
groundwaters had been identified and investigated in Gushiegu District of Northern Region of Ghana using an
integrated approach involving water quality analysis and petrographical thin-section analysis of rock cuttings
obtained from drilled samples from boreholes in the study area. Fluoride concentrations were found to range
from 0.05 to 5.8 mg/L, with a mean concentration of 2.18 mg/L. Analysis of samples from 36 wells showed
that 11.12% had fluoride concentrations below 0.05 mg/L, 44.44% had concentrations above 1.5 mg/L whilst
44.44% had concentration between 0.5-1.5 mg/L. Petrographical thin-section analyses revealed meta-mudstone,
slate/meta mudstone, meta-mudstone/slate, and meta-siltstone and carbonate quartz-schist as the rock types.
Major rock minerals include quartz, iron oxide, clay minerals, carbonates minerals, sericite, and opaque whilst
lithic fragments and fluorites make up minor minerals components. The range of modal composition of the
major mineral components are opaque minerals (35-60%), quartz (20-60%), iron oxide (10-55%), sericite (3-
35%), clay minerals (2-33%), and carbonate minerals (10-20%) with minor mineral components (lithic
fragments and fluorite) having less than 1% in all the samples. Sericite appears to be the main mineral
associated with the occurrence of elevated fluoride concentration in the groundwaters with carbonate minerals
playing a minor role. Dissolution of fluoride into groundwater could be due to the interactions of groundwater
with rocks containing sericite and probably carbonate minerals.
Key words: Fluoride, groundwater, Ghana, sericite, voltaian sedimentary formation, ,
|
|
Abstract
|
PDF
|
HTML |
|
Cite this Reference:
Anim-Gyampo Maxwell, Zango Musah Saeed and Apori Ntiforo, . The Origin of Fluoride in Groundwaters of the Paleozoic Sedimentary Formations of Ghana-A Preliminary Study in Gushiegu District. Research Journal of Environmental and Earth Sciences, (05): 546-552.
|
|
|
|
 |
ISSN (Online): 2041-0492
ISSN (Print): 2041-0484 |
 |
| Information |
|
|
|
|
| Sales & Services |
|
|
|
|
