Assessing Trace Metal Contamination and Associated Risks in the Kossan River Ecosystem, Southern Côte d'Ivoire

Trace metals accumulate in aquatic systems and can pose a threat to human health and wildlife. In recent decades, human activity has become the main source of metals in the environment. In order to gain a better understanding of metal contamination in Ivorian rivers impacted by human activity, and to help set up a database, we studied the distribution of arsenics (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) in the Kossan River.

A total of 21 surface water and sediment samples were taken at 7 stations along the River Kossan between March 2019 and July 2020. Total concentrations of the metals were analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks were assessed in surface water. Contamination indices such as EF, CF; Igeo and PLI were calculated to determine the level of sediment contamination. Ecological risk indices Er and RI were used to assess the potential risks associated with metals.

The concentrations of As, Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn found in surface water samples fell within the following ranges: 2.03 - 17.19, 1.752 - 13.264, 0.067 - 0.774, 17.44 - 2369.11 and 136.72 - 3669.37 µg/L, respectively and in sediment: 0.69 - 4.60, 2.10 - 11.30, 0.13 - 5.00, 1.70 - 28.20 and 4.10 - 90.30 µg/g, respectively. The results showed high levels of As, Cu, Pb and Zn contamination in places, above WHO limits. The calculation of non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk indices revealed that arsenic and copper can present major health risks for humans through the consumption of water. Cd concentrations exceeded geochemical background values. The results suggest moderate to very severe Cd contamination of the sediments by anthropogenic origin at certain sampling points. In general, the results of the ecological risk indices revealed low to moderate levels of contamination for metals, with the exception of heavy cadmium contamination in the river. The highest concentrations of trace metals were observed in water and sediment samples collected from stations with high anthropogenic pressure.

The continuing intensification of human activity may in the long term present a major risk to man and his environment, hence the need to set up a system for monitoring river watercourses and to develop a system for remediating trace metals in river water such as phytoremediation.