Author(s)

Richard Ayuk II Akoachere^1*, Thomson Areakpoh Eyong¹, Marcelle-Carole Pami Ngassam², Raymond Ndip Nkongho³, Simon Oko Okpara⁴, Tom Tabi Oben³

¹Department of Geology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.
²Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, Pan African University/University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
³Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Abuja, Nigeria.
⁴Department of Agronomy and Applied Molecular Sciences, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon.

Barium is the most enriched element in the study area; this could be attributed to agricultural fertilizers. Igeo values indicate groundwater is no pollution to moderately pollution risk from Li, V, Cr, Co, As, Cd, Pb while groundwater has a strong pollution risk from Ba and extreme pollution risk from Mn, Sr, Fe and Zn, though the concentrations of the trace metals are below WHO guidelines. Thus, from the health hazard indices and pollution risk indices on trace metals, the groundwater in Ekondo-Titi and environs is safe for drinking. The severity of metal toxicity is governed by several factors, such as dose, nutrition, age, and even life style. Therefore, these low trends that indicate the absence of human health hazards and health risks, the groundwater, might not guarantee the complete and permanent absence of human health hazards and risks due to an increasing level of environmental pollution that might be imposed by the increasing plantation agriculture in this area. Groundwater sources might become a potential sink of contaminants; this is the reason for recommending a constant monitoring and implementation program in Ekondo-Titi and environs.

Trace-metal, PCA, HCA, Health-hazard-indices, Pollution risks-indices, Rio-del-Rey, Ekondo-Titi, Cameroon

Akoachere, R. , Eyong, T. , Ngassam, M. , Nkongho, R. , Okpara, S. and Oben, T. (2019) Evaluation of Trace Metals in Groundwater of Ekondo-Titi and Environs, Onshore Rio Del Rey, Cameroun. Open Access Library Journal, 6, 1-25. doi: 10.4236/oalib.1105791.