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A baseline study of spatial variability of bacteria (total coliform, E. coli, and Enterococcus spp.) as biomarkers of pollution in ten tropical Atlantic beaches: concern for environmental and public health

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Abstract

Coastal water quality in urban cities is increasingly impacted by human activities such as agricultural runoff, sewage discharges, and poor sanitation. However, environmental factors controlling bacteria abundance remain poorly understood. The study employed multiple indicators to assess ten beach water qualities in Ghana during minor wet seasons. Environmental parameters (e.g. temperature, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids) were measured in situ using the Horiba multiple parameter probe. Surface water samples were collected to measure total suspended solids, nutrients, and chlorophyll-a via standard methods and bacteria determination through membrane filtration. Environmental parameters measured showed no significant variation for the sample period. However, bacteria loads differ significantly (p = 0.024) among the beaches and influenced significantly by nitrate (55.3%, p = 0.02) and total dissolved solids (17.1%, p = 0.017). The baseline study detected an increased amount of total coliforms and faecal indicator bacteria (Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp.) in beach waters along the coast of Ghana, suggesting faecal contamination, which can pose health risks. The mean ± standard deviations of bacteria loads in beach water are total coliforms (4.06 × 103 ± 4.16 × 103 CFU/100 mL), E. coli (7.06 × 102 ± 1.72 × 103 CFU/100 mL), and Enterococcus spp. (6.15 × 102 ± 1.75 × 103 CFU/100 mL). Evidence of pollution calls for public awareness to prevent ecological and health-related risks and policy reforms to control coastal water pollution. Future research should focus on identifying the sources of contamination in the tropical Atlantic region.

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Acknowledgements

The authors will like to express deep gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of the research, particularly Prof. Hartmut Stuetzel, Prof. Peter Frenzel, Dr. Hanna Wielandt, Frau Sylva Janning, Dr. John Moisan, and Emeritus Prof. John Farrington. Special thanks to the staff at the Department of Marine and Fisheries Sciences (DFMS), University of Ghana (UG), for providing space and field support. Profound thanks to anonymous reviewers for their constructive scientific comments, which improved upon the writing of the research paper.

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The data is deposited at PANGAEA and can be made available for public use.

Funding

Volkswagen Foundation, Germany, financed the research to Lailah Gifty Akita, Junior Fellowship grant (Grant No. 89371).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marine and Fisheries Sciences, University of Ghana, P. O. Box LG 99, Legon, Accra, Ghana

    Lailah Gifty Akita

  2. Alfred Wegner Institute Helmholtz Centre of Polar and Marine Research, Am Alten Hafen 26, 27568, Bremerhaven, Germany

    Juergen Laudien

  3. Ecosystems Environmental Solutions, GD-213-5404, Accra, Ghana

    Charles Biney

  4. CSIR-Research Institute, P.O. Box M 32, GP-018-964, Accra, Ghana

    Mark Osei Akrong

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• Dr. Lailah Gifty Akita: conceptualization, data curation, statistical analyses, fund acquisition, and writing—original draft.

• Dr. Juergen Laudien: conceptualization, fund acquisition, and writing of review.

• Dr. Charles Biney: conceptualization and writing of the review.

• Mark Akrong: data curation and writing of the review.

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Akita, .G., Laudien, J., Biney, C. et al. A baseline study of spatial variability of bacteria (total coliform, E. coli, and Enterococcus spp.) as biomarkers of pollution in ten tropical Atlantic beaches: concern for environmental and public health. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 50941–50965 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-15432-x

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