Abstract of Ghana soil study reports risk-element exceedances and three seasonal differences

Soils collected from electronic-waste recycling and disposal sites in Ghana’s Greater Accra Region contained appreciable risk-element concentrations, according to an abstract of a 2026 study published in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. Of the 84 samples, representing 55% of those analyzed, at least one risk element exceeded the Ontario Ministry of the Environment’s soil threshold for residential and industrial use.

For the field study, researchers collected soil samples from nine electronic-waste recycling sites during both the wet and dry seasons. Two additional sites with no history of electronic-waste recycling or disposal activities served as controls. The samples were analyzed for 34 risk elements, including silver, arsenic, boron, cadmium, copper, molybdenum, lead, antimony and zinc.

The abstract reports that the Lacatusu contamination and pollution index placed the measured elements within the excessive pollution range. Silver, cadmium, copper, lead, antimony and zinc were identified as the main elements associated with that range. These results describe measured concentrations in the sampled soils; the abstract does not provide site-level values, sample counts for each location or the magnitude of individual threshold exceedances.

Only three of the 34 elements showed statistically significant seasonal differences: copper, with a p-value of 0.04; molybdenum, with a p-value of 0.02; and lead, with a p-value of 0.03. The abstract does not state which season had the higher concentrations for these elements or identify the processes responsible for the differences. The authors characterized the appreciable levels detected at the recycling sites as a concern for public health and environmental quality, but the reported analysis did not directly measure human exposure or health outcomes.

Subject of Research: Seasonal soil risk-element contamination at electronic-waste sites in Ghana

Article Title: Can seasonal variations influence risk element contamination in soils at electronic-waste recycling and disposal sites in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana?

Article References: Kumi-Amoah, G., & Owusu-Twum, M. Y. (2026). Can seasonal variations influence risk element contamination in soils at electronic-waste recycling and disposal sites in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana?. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 198(9), Article 1002. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-026-15740-0

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s10661-026-15740-0

Keywords: soil contamination, electronic waste, Greater Accra, Ghana, risk elements, seasonal variation, wet season, dry season, pollution indices, threshold exceedances, seasonal, variations