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Abstract
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Article Information:
Assessment of the Quality of Bottled/Sachet Water in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality (TM) of Ghana
D. Nana Asamoah and R. Amorin
Corresponding Author: Richard Amorin
Submitted: 2010 November, 08
Accepted: 2010 December, 02
Published: 2011 May, 25 |
Abstract:
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This study aims at assessing the quality of water from bottled/sachet water in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem
Municipality. Tarkwa is an ancient mining town sited in an Equatorial climate in Ghana and experiences high
population growth rate as a result of mining activities. Due to this, water resources are under pressure as Ghana
Water Company Ltd., (GWCL) produces only 55% of the Municipality’s water requirements. The population
is skeptical of using other sources of water for domestic purposes because of mining activities. Therefore,
majority of the people in the Municipality depend on bottled/sachet water for drinking. This study presents and
discusses the results of physicochemical and microbial analyses of six bottled/sachet water samples. The water
source of these water producing companies is groundwater. Two sets of samples were collected from each
company during the rainy season and the dry season to account for seasonal variations. A representative sample
for each company was analyzed by the Chemistry/Bacteria Division of the GWCL, Takoradi for
physicochemical parameters including pH, temperature, taste, electrical conductivity, true colour, turbidity total
dissolved solids, total suspended solids, total alkalinity, total hardness and coliform bacteria. Metals and anions
analysed were Ca, Mn, K, Na, Cr, Cd, Sb, Ba. BO3-, total Fe, Pb, Zn, As, NO3-, NO2- SO4-2, PO4-3, (NH3-N),
F-, Cl-, CN-, carbonate hardness and bicarbonate hardness. Bacteria analysed were total Coliforms,
Escherichia coli and total Heterotrophic bacteria. The concentrations of most of the investigated parameters in
the drinking water samples from Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality were within the permissible limits of the World
Health Organization (WHO)/Ghana Standard Board (GSB) drinking water quality guidelines except pH, Ba
and Cl- contents. The pH of SKFDW and DLFWD were respectively 5.5 and 6.31; acidic and lower than the
recommended WHO/GSB guideline of 6.5-8.5. The Ba contents in the water samples of ASBFDW and TLFDW
Companies were respectively 1.8 and 1.9 mg/L, which are higher than the WHO/GSB threshold values of 0.7
mg/L. SKFDW water samples gave higher analytical Cl- value of 274 mg/L which is above the recommended
WHO/GSB threshold values of 0-250 mg/L. These packaged waters must be treated before use.
Key words: Coliform, metals, microbial, physiochemical, , ,
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Cite this Reference:
D. Nana Asamoah and R. Amorin, . Assessment of the Quality of Bottled/Sachet Water in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality (TM) of Ghana. Research Journal of Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology, (05): 377-385.
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ISSN (Online): 2040-7467
ISSN (Print): 2040-7459 |
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