Evaluation of airborne lead levels in storage battery workshops and some welding environments in Kumasi metropolis in Ghana
Evaluation of airborne lead levels in storage battery workshops and some welding environments in Kumasi metropolis in Ghana
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2010
Authors
Dartey, Emmanuel
A. A., Adimado
K., Agyarko
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Environ Monit Assess (2010)
Abstract
Airborne lead levels were assessed in
nine workshops, three each from battery, elec tronic repair, and welding sources within the
Kumasi Metropolis in Ghana. Samples were col lected at 0, 2.5, and 5.0 m away from the emission
source at the workshops during working hours
and another at 5.0 m during break hours. Air borne lead particulates were collected and ana lyzed using the filter membrane technique and
flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry, re spectively. There were significant differences (p ≤
0.05) among the air lead levels from the work shops. Workshop 3b produced the highest sig nificant values of air lead concentrations of
2,820.31 ± 53.89, 2,406.74 ± 71.87, 754.55 ± 72.52,
and 549.01 ± 67.30 μg/m3 at distances of 0, 2.5,
5.0, and 5.0 m (break-time measurement), re spectively, while workshop 1w significantly pro duced the lowest air lead concentration values of
261.06 ± 21.60, 190.92 ± 36.90, 86.43 ± 16.26,
and 61.05 ± 3.88 μg/m3 at distances of 0, 2.5,
E. Dartey (B) · A. A. Adimado
Department of Chemistry, Kwame Nkrumah
University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
e-mail: emmldartey@yahoo.co.uk
E. Dartey · K. Agyarko
Faculty of Agriculture Education,
University of Education, Winneba, Ghana
5.0, and 5.0 m (break-time measurement), respec tively. The air lead levels reduced with distance
from emission source at the workshops. At all
the distances of measurement at working hours,
the airborne lead levels were higher than the
World Health Organization standard of 50 μg/m3
and exceeded the threshold limit values of 100
to 150 μg/m3 recommended in most jurisdictions.
Workers and people in the immediate environs
were exposed to air lead levels that were too high
by most international standards, thus posing a
serious threat to their health.
Description
Keywords
Citation
Dartey, E., Adimado, A. A., & Agyarko, K. (2010). Evaluation of airborne lead levels in storage battery workshops and some welding environments in Kumasi metropolis in Ghana. Environmental monitoring and assessment, 164, 1-8.