The Analytical Data Assessments
The distinctiveness of As, Pb, Cu, and Zn in this study lies in their oxidation from sulphide minerals that exhibit geochemical fractionation characteristics leading to either depletion or accumulation of elements to toxic levels due to natural rainfall and other environmental activities. Table 1 reveals the minimum concentrations of potentially harmful elements such as As and Pb at 2 ppm and 5 ppm respectively, while their maximum concentration levels were found to be 216 ppm and 148 ppm correspondingly. Likewise, Cu and Zn are essential nutritional elements for humans but also display varying concentrations (Table 1). Although these elements are generally present in soils at low concentrations, they can become elevated or depleted due to both natural processes and human activities. The minimum (ranging from 2–6 ppm for all studied elements) as well as the maximum (ranging from 87-246ppm for all studied elements) displayed in Table 1 illustrate the impact of both natural processes and human activities on element concentrations. This further suggests that some areas or communities may experience hotspots or cold-spots of disease-causing elements where there is an excess of harmful components compared with baseline values found within soils.
Although Cu and Zn are essential nutrients; too much exposure could prove fatal. Ingesting food or drinking water contaminated with high levels of copper pollution can result in its build-up within internal organs such as the brain, liver, and lungs which eventually lead to kidney failure heart failure loss of reduction of red blood cells liver disease brain damage etc. Similarly, excessive exposure to zinc could lead to abdominal pains, nausea, vomiting, fever and fatigue among other symptoms. Additional effects comprise fatigue, anaemia and vertigo. Furthermore, based on Table 1, the computed arithmetic means for the four chosen elements are 17.19 ppm, 7.34 ppm, 12.59 ppm and 28.12 ppm respectively. By comparing these values to globally recognized baseline concentration levels as explained by (Kabata-Pendias et al., 2004), it can be deduced that the baseline concentration levels represent natural heavy metal content present in samples without human or urban influences under idealized conditions around a mean value within an expected range of approximately 95%. The explanation provided by Kabata-Pendias et al. (2004) definition indicates that both anthropogenic and natural processes have an impact on element concentrations. As illustrated in Table 1, average concentrations of As, Pb and Zn exceed their respective baseline values while Cu's average is lower than its corresponding baseline value.
The selected elements, like all trace elements in soils, exhibit varying concentration levels as demonstrated by Table 1. The concentrations of the elements that oxidize from sulphide minerals may be influenced by the type of parent material and soil characteristics after weathering, such as pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), particle size distribution, organic matter content and oxide content. These properties contribute to the accumulation or dispersion of trace elements throughout the environment. When parent materials contain high concentrations of trace elements, soils developed on them are likely to have elevated levels of these substances. Consequently, some landscapes may harbour hotspots or cold spots for disease-causing agents depending on whether element concentrations are high or low in specific locations within those areas. For instance, As, Pb, Cu and Zn have minimum and maximum analytical values shown in summary statistics (Table 1). While minimum measured values for these trace elements appear lower than global acceptable values in soils; maximum measured values far exceed such standards. Comparing minima with maxima allows us to plot average element concentrations across different soil samples against global averages used as thresholds to grid data defining hotspots and cold spots associated with disease-causing sites outlined herein.
Identifying hotspots and cold spots is significant not only for environmental purposes but also because it reveals potential diseases that may emerge from certain areas characterized by either high or low-exposure terrains with essential but potentially harmful elemental constituents which can help inform policy development aimed at mitigating health-related issues arising from trace element exposures.
As depicted in Figs. 4 and 8, there exist regions with elevated and reduced concentrations of arsenic (As). These areas are referred to as hotspots and cold spots, respectively. The overlap between these areas and some communities that host hundreds of people renders the inhabitants vulnerable to toxic As exposure. As documented in literature, such exposure could result in various ailments including hypertension, skin-lung-bladder cancers, liver and kidney disorders. Gyaba, Agrave, Juabeng, Bogoso, Gyeduakese, Ankaasie Eshireso and Beposo are among the susceptible communities identified from Fig. 8. Identifying sources of As-related diseases would be challenging unless environmental geochemistry is assessed alongside disease linkages evaluation. Nevertheless, individuals residing within hotspot areas consuming food produced within those regions or drinking untreated water sourced from them will inevitably experience the listed illnesses. Prevalence rates will depend on the degree and duration of exposure with children diagnosed with hypertension being particularly susceptible due to trace element exposure rather than lifestyle factors alone.
In times past cumulative pollution resulting from natural phenomena as well as human activities became prevalent in our environment; age was a primary factor associated with Arsenic related diseases but today this narrative has changed since people across all ages can fall victim to such maladies.
Similarly illustrated by Figs. 5 and 9 are copper (Cu) hotspots/cold spots which indicate Affaina Moseaso Abenesu localities having hazardous Cu concentrations thus rendering residents prone to Cu-related health issues like heart failure/kidney malfunctioning/brain damage/liver disorders/loss of red blood cells.
This implies that not all renal patients living in these zones have their condition linked solely to lifestyle choices since some may have unknowingly ingested toxic amounts of both As & Cu through food/drink intake. Furthermore Figs. 6&10 highlight Pb concentration anomalies along with corresponding diseases covering about forty percent (40%) of study area landmasses
Of great concern is the potential impact of Pb exposure on human health, as evidenced by a review of relevant literature which highlights nervous system dysfunction and anaemia among children, while adults are more susceptible to cardiovascular dysfunction and neurological decline. Additionally, lead exposure may contribute to high blood pressure, brain damage, kidney impairment and reproductive health issues in adults. Symptoms associated with lead poisoning include headaches, stomach cramps, constipation, joint pain and trouble sleeping; individuals may also experience fatigue or irritability or suffer from loss of sex drive. Unfortunately, many affected individuals do not seek medical attention due to their lack of apparent illness. As a result, they often fail to recognize Pb-related ailments including hypertension or anaemia until it is too late for effective treatment. Identifying regions where such diseases are prevalent would be critical in developing appropriate therapeutic strategies aimed at preventing their further spread throughout those populations.
In particular Figs. 7 and 11 illustrate that southwestern communities exhibit toxic concentrations of Zn leading one to conclude that inhabitants within these areas may experience various Zn-related-diseases such as abdominal pains or nausea along with vomiting fever lethargy anaemia dizziness etc. It should be noted however that even low levels of zinc deficiency could increase the risk factors associated with diabetes mellitus or obesity among certain populations.
The disease patterns related to various elements, as illustrated in Fig. 12, exhibit how different communities preserve distinct disease patterns. For instance, the Cu-related diseases dominate the eastern side of the study area and trend northeast-southwest while Zn-related diseases mainly occur at the Southeast. The Zn-Pb related diseases are predominant at the Southwest portion while As-Pb tend to be at the middle third of the study area. The southeastern tip is characterized by s-related-diseases which are associated with As-related-diseases. In contrast, isolated disease patterns for As, Zn and Pb prevail in northern portions of the study area, whereas a small Cu-related-disease pattern is evident at its northwestern extremity.
Countries worldwide strive to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages. Ghana has set a goal to reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by one-third through prevention and treatment before 2030. From Fig. 12, it is apparent that there are numerous NCDs whose sources can be traced back to four elements having an association with gold in Birimian Systems of Ghana. This could explain why emerging cases of hypertension, diabetes and many renal diseases have become prevalent in Ghana among people across all age brackets rather than just affecting only affluent older individuals.
It seems scientifically incorrect to attribute causes behind children under ten years old being diagnosed hypertensive or diabetic or developing renal impairment simply due to attitudinal reasons; instead, exposure beyond or below what their bodies require concerning trace elements may be responsible for such conditions as Paracelsus had emphasized regarding dosing distinctions between toxicity and treatment.
Therefore Figs. 4–12 suggest outlining hotspots & cold spots of disease-causing elements must define preventive measures better since consuming homegrown produce & unprocessed water remains common practices, especially among developing nations where NCDs cause maximum fatalities like Ghana if they aim towards SDG3 promoting healthy living & well-being across all ages defined as shown here needs proper attention & action implementation plan accordingly without delay!
In conclusion, geospatial maps displaying hotspots and cold-spots of disease-causing elements were established based on soil samples collected. These maps illustrated diseases associated with toxic exposure to As, Pb, Cu and Zn. Of the four elements studied, As, Pb and Cu were found to result in cardiovascular diseases predominantly characterized by hypertension, diabetes and renal disorders. Zinc is an essential trace mineral required for human health; however excessive exposure can lead to various health problems such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever lethargy fatigue anaemia and dizziness.
It should be noted that populations residing in communities exposed to these toxins are at risk of ingesting or inhaling them unknowingly until they accumulate within their bodies causing illness. The authors believe that prevention rather than curative measures must be taken to achieve well-being as enshrined in SDG 3.
This work has revealed that diseases previously considered lifestyle-related may actually stem from environmental factors such as toxic element exposure. It is possible to identify sources of disease-causing-elements so they can be managed effectively reducing the spread of emerging non-communicable diseases particularly prevalent in developing countries like Ghana where it leads mortality rates.
To improve quality of life for all citizens and build a prosperous nation SDG 3 goals must be met through appropriate use of hotspot/cold spot maps depicting disease patterns derived from base maps generated using geospatial data analysis techniques employed here.