Atrazine Contamination in Groundwater at Ejura in the Ashanti Region of Ghana

The present study the levels Atrazine, deethylatrazine(DEA) and deisopropylatrazine(DIA) in groundwater at Ejura within the Ejura-Sekyedumase District in the Ashanti region of Ghana which is a major maize growing area in the country. A total of twenty five (25) groundwater samples were collected from six(6) sampling sites within the sampling area and were analyzed using a Varian ProstaHPLC system (410) + autosampler, photodiote array (PDA) detector, UV and fluorescence detectors. The mean concentration of atrazine in the groundwater at Ejura is 0.255 μ/L. The maximum concentration of atrazine was 1.530μ/L and a minimum concentration of 0.20μ/L. The maximum and minimum concentrations for deethylatrazine (DEA) and deisopropylatrazine (DIA) are 0.423μ/L and 0.101μ/L and 0.204μ/L and 0.102μL respectively. The Deethylatrazine to Atrazine Ratio (DAR) was calculated; the values were much less than one suggesting a discrete source of contamination. This gives an indication of the pathway of atrazine contamination as being preferential flow. The levels of Atrazine deethylatrazine (DEA) and deisopropylatrazine (DIA) from the samples analyzed were all below WHO's maximum contamination levels (MCL), 2μ/L. (author)