Assessment of the health risk associated with trace elements in groundwater in artisanal and industrial gold mining areas: a case study of Ity-Floleu, western Côte d'Ivoire

This study assesses the contamination of groundwater from traditional wells by trace elements in the Ity-Floleu gold-bearing area (western Côte d'Ivoire), as well as the associated health risks for six-year-old children and thirty-year-old adults.Seven sampling points, including Kouizompleu as a control site, were analysed for the presence of As, Cd, Ni and Pb as part of four seasonal campaigns totalling 28 samples.The HPI, HEI, HIwater and TCRwater indices were calculated in accordance with USEPA recommendations.The results reveal critical degradation of the groundwater table linked to mining activities.With the exception of the control site, 85.7% of the wells analysed are unfit for human consumption, with lead being the predominant contaminant, with concentrations ranging from 1.30 to 4.84 mg/L, representing exceedances of between 130 and 484 times the WHO standard.The average values for the HPI (4,147.93)and the HEI (211.06)exceed the critical thresholds by more than forty times.The health risks Assessment of … GBAMELE Kouassi Serge et al.