"Ecotoxicological and health risks associated with sediment-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in peri-urban closed and open coastal lagoons"
Coastal urbanisation has ramifications for the sustainable development of developing nations. There are often
unquantified ecological and health risks associated with urbanisation. Sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAHs) were analysed in surface sediment from three peri-urban coastal lagoons in southern Ghana. We found
significant spatial variations of sediment PAHs. These variations were attributed to physiography of the lagoons
and diverse anthropogenic activities surrounding them. Total PAHs ranged from 20.81 to 24,801.38 μg/kg (dry
weight), underscoring a low to very high pollution level. Diagnostic ratios revealed both pyrogenic and petrogenic
origins. Over 50 % of individual PAHs were of moderate ecological risk to benthic organisms, and cancer
risk to humans was above the World Health Organisation's recommended safety limit (1 × 10 6). These
ecological and health risks should be wake-up call for a more integrated urban planning approach to coastal
urbanisation as coastal communities largely depend on natural ecosystems for food and livelihood opportunities.
University of Cape Coast