Evaluation of lead and mercury neurotoxic health risk by resident children in the Obuasi municipality, Ghana

S Obiri; D K Dodoo; F A Armah; D K Essumang; S J Cobbina

doi:10.1016/j.etap.2010.01.001

Evaluation of lead and mercury neurotoxic health risk by resident children in the Obuasi municipality, Ghana

Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2010 May;29(3):209-12. doi: 10.1016/j.etap.2010.01.001. Epub 2010 Jan 25.

Authors

S Obiri¹, D K Dodoo, F A Armah, D K Essumang, S J Cobbina

Affiliation

¹ CSIR - Water Research Institute, P.O. Box AH 38, Achimota Accra, Ghana; Centre for Environmental Impact Analysis, P.O. Box AD 738, Cape Coast, Ghana.

PMID: 21787604
DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2010.01.001

Abstract

This study assesses neurotoxic effects associated with exposure to lead and mercury in borehole, tap and surface water by resident children in the Obuasi municipality in accordance with USEPA risk assessment guidelines. From the results of the study, the hazard quotient for oral ingestion of mercury in tap water in Obuasi is 7.4 and 15 respectively via both central tendency exposure (CTE) and reasonable maximum exposure (RME) parameters, respectively. This means that approximately 7 and 15 (by both CTE and RME parameters, respectively) resident children in Obuasi are likely to show neurologic effects associated with exposure to mercury and lead such as increased nervousness, loss of memory and/or decrease in concentration, impaired writing ability and tremor.