TITLE:
Drinking Water from Hand-Pumps in Mali, Niger, and Ghana, West Africa: Review of Health Effects
AUTHORS:
Alexandra Lutz, Samuel Diarra, W. Braimah Apambire, James M. Thomas, Jarvis Ayamsegna
KEYWORDS:
Drinking Water; Groundwater; Water Chemistry; Health
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Water Resource and Protection,
Vol.5 No.8A,
August
9,
2013
ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to evaluate parameters of drinking
water quality from hand-pumps in Ghana, Mali, and Niger, evaluate possible
sources of parameters, and provide an overview of potential health effects in
the population. Concentrations of 22 parameters in 3337 groundwater samples
were analyzed and compared with World Health Organization drinking water
guidelines. In general, F, Mn, and Al had relatively larger and more common
rates of occurrence, though there was by country. For F, there were reports of
skeletal fluorosis in Niger and dental fluorosis in Ghana.
For Mn and Al it was difficult to assess health effects due to scarce
information.