Publications by authors named "Helen Essandoh"
Article Synopsis
- Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is not well-monitored in Africa, especially regarding resistant bacteria in environmental samples, prompting a study that analyzed wastewater from various sources in Kumasi.
- Findings revealed that three out of four sites had high levels of pollutants, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria like Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were identified, with significant genetic similarities to strains known to cause human infections.
- The study highlighted concerns about public health due to high levels of bacteria and organic matter in wastewater, along with the presence of AMR genes linked to resistance against both antibiotics and heavy metals.
Self-supply water has been acknowledged as a viable alternative to meeting the water needs of inhabitants. This study was designed to determine the main issues that influence self-supply water coverage in five (5) communities in the Kumasi Metropolis. The research employed a well-structured questionnaires and a total of 369 households were surveyed.
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- - The study evaluates four constructed wetland technologies for treating greywater, confirming their ability to meet regulatory standards for pH, and reducing suspended particles and dissolved solids within acceptable limits.
- - While some pollutants like nitrate and sulphate were effectively managed, elevated ammonia and oil/grease levels in treated samples indicate the need for additional treatment methods, particularly for VFSF and VSSF technologies, which struggled with COD limits.
- - Overall, the horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland (HFWSF) demonstrated the highest pollutant removal efficiency, especially when combined with other treatment methods, effectively lowering coliform contamination and complying with FEPA requirements.
Groundwater is the primary water supply source for many people living on the surface of the earth. They depend on this valuable resource for their daily needs. But this natural resource is continuously being threatened by both natural and anthropogenic activities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTannery wastewater is one of the most toxic waste generated in industries. In spite of this, there still remains a paucity of information on characteristics of wastewater generated from artisanal tanneries. This study, therefore, assessed the water consumption, wastewater generation rates, physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of wastewater produced from each process unit of an artisanal tannery in Ghana.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study was carried out to assess the degradation and accumulation rates of fresh human excreta and how addition of anal cleansing materials affect performance during vermicomposting by Eisenia fetida and Eudrilus eugeniae. Vermicomposting setups consisting of two transparent containers (length 0.27 m, breadth 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh generation of fecal sludge without proper treatment is a major sanitation problem. A key step in curbing this problem is producing value-added resources such as vermicompost from fecal sludge through substrate enrichment. Substrate enrichment is a vermicomposting technique that involves augmenting vermibed substrates with organic rich materials to provide additional nutrients, as well as underlying layers needed for microcosm development to produce desirable vermicompost.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe use of macrophytes has been identified as one of the eco-friendly means of remediating soils contaminated with heavy metal(loid)s. This study sought to ascertain the synergistic influences of Hg, As, Cd and Pb on the uptake capacity of Typha capensis in remediating soils contaminated with these pollutants. Uptake of Hg, As, Cd and Pb by this aquatic plant species in metal(loid)-contaminated water and soil was studied in batch culture experiment.
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