Bayesian source apportionment and eco-probabilistic risk assessment of aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments from the offshore area between the Deep Water Tano and West Cape three points blocks, Ghana.

This study investigates aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments from offshore Ghana, focusing on their distribution, sources, and ecological risk. Samples were collected from 15 sites near Deep Water Tano and West Cape Three Points blocks. GC-FID and GC-MS analyses revealed higher concentrations in West Cape Three Points compared to Deep Water Tano.

The effect of soil types, pH, and geographical locations on carcinogenic metal buildup in Oryza sativa cultivated in Ghana.

This study investigated the impact of soil type, pH, and geographical locations on the accumulation of arsenic (As), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd) in rice grains cultivated in Ghana. One hundred rice farms for the sampling of rice grains and soil were selected from two regions in Ghana-Volta and Oti. The concentrations of As, Pb, and Cd were analyzed using ICP-OES.

Deciphering groundwater pollution in the Lower Anayari Catchment: insights from using δH, δO, PMF, and APCS-MLR receptor model.

This research provides a comprehensive analysis of groundwater pollution in the Lower Anayari Catchment (LAC) through δH and δO isotopic analysis, along with positive matrix factorization (PMF) and PCS-MLR receptor models. Forty groundwater samples were collected from hand-dug wells and equipped boreholes across the LAC. Flame photometry for Na and K, complexometric titration for Ca, ion chromatography for Cl, F, NO, SO, and PO, and atomic absorption spectrometry for Mg, Fe, Pb, Cd, As, and Ni were analytical techniques/instruments employed.

Ecotoxicity of heavy metals in soil around long-term e-waste recycling sites in Tema and Ashaiman areas of Ghana.

The effect of e-waste recycling activities on the prevalence of metals (Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) and a metalloid (As) in soil was assessed for four e-waste sites in Ghana. Samples of top- and subsoil were collected from dismantling and burning sections, and the prevalence and the distribution of selected metals were determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The concentrations of the metals analyzed were above the background concentrations except for Cd, which was detected at a comparable level to the background levels.

Status of pharmaceuticals in the Korle Lagoon and their toxicity to non-target organisms.

The availability of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in surface waters and suspended solids/sediments presents an ecological hazard of chronic exposure to non-target organisms. Thus, water and sediment samples were collected from the Korle Lagoon in the west of Accra-Ghana city center to evaluate 35 medicinal drugs belonging to the main therapeutic classes and their toxicity to non-target organisms (i.e.

Trend analysis of anthropogenic activities affecting trace metals deposition in core sediments from the coastal and four rivers estuary of Sarawak, Malaysia.

This study reports the concentrations of trace metals in core sediments profile from the coastal and four rivers estuary in the Kuching Division of Sarawak, Malaysia, and the controlling mechanisms influencing their availability in sediments of the studied area. The bonding of trace metals with non-mobile fractions was confirmed with the sequential extraction. Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) was used to measure the concentrations of the trace metals.

Evolutionarily dynamic alternative splicing of GPR56 regulates regional cerebral cortical patterning.

The human neocortex has numerous specialized functional areas whose formation is poorly understood. Here, we describe a 15-base pair deletion mutation in a regulatory element of GPR56 that selectively disrupts human cortex surrounding the Sylvian fissure bilaterally including "Broca's area," the primary language area, by disrupting regional GPR56 expression and blocking RFX transcription factor binding. GPR56 encodes a heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein)-coupled receptor required for normal cortical development and is expressed in cortical progenitor cells.