Physicochemical interaction with faecal bacteria in characterisation of beach water quality, Gulf of Guinea, Ghana

Abstract Human activities such as industrial and agricultural waste discharges directly in the coastal areas increasingly contribute to pollution in coastal waters of Western Africa. The study employed physicochemical and faecal analysis to understand water pollution along the coast of Ghana. The physicochemical parameter such as temperature, salinity, electrical conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen concentration, dissolved oxygen saturation, total dissolved solids, and redox potential) were measured in situ while water samples were collected determination of total suspended solids, nutrients, chlorophyll-a, and faecal bacteria. The abundance of total coliforms (4061.6 ± 4159.14 CFU/100 ml water), Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus spp. varied significantly (p < 0.05) among the beaches. The high amount of faecal bacteria suggest microbial contamination, possible ecosystem, and health risks to water resource users. This baseline study provides evidence of coastal water contamination to improve beach water quality standards to ensure safe environmental health.