Seasonal Variation in Heavy Metal Content of Lake and Underground Water in Some Selected Towns around the Bosomtwe Crater Lake

Abstract

The levels of Arsenic, Iron, Lead, Zinc, Chromium, Cadmium and Nickel in water samples from Lake Bosomtwe and Bore Holes in some towns around the Lake have been determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (Varian AAS 220). The levels of Arsenic, Cadmium and Nickel were generally small and were below the detection limit of the instrument. The results showed seasonal variations in the mean levels of Pb, Fe, Zn and Cr in water from the Bosomtwe Crater Lake. There were significant correlations between the mean levels of Fe and Pb in the underground water in the two seasons whilst Zn and Cr showed weak correlation in underground water for the wet and dry seasons. The levels of the metals in the bore holes were generally below the WHO standard values compared to the levels of the metals in the water samples from the lake. The mean pH values for water samples from the bore holes in the towns around the Bosomtwe Crater Lake were within the WHO standard of 6.50-8.50.

Keywords: Lake Bosomtwe, Borehole, Crater, Heavy metals, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer.