ABSTRACT

The physico-chemical slate of eSluarics. lagoons- open and closcd- and bcachcs along the coast of Ghana was studicd 10 asscS $ thcir statc of pollution. Aspects o f the chcmistry of the coastal waters are al50 discusscd. The study W3S aimcd al providing basc·linc dala for the monitoring of pollution in the Ghanaisn coastal cnvironmcnt. It alsa draw5 attention 10 the Dccd for control and mcchanisms for contro lling pollution. The main sources of pollution wcrc identificd as $Cwagc of both indUSlrial and dorncstic origin and oil in the form of tarballs. Of the 16 lagoons investigated, 12 were round polluted, 2 grossly. The grossly polluted lagoons, the Korle and Chemu serve as rcccptades of industrial and domestic wastes. The estuaries werc gcncrally slightly polluted or " clean ". Sewage pollution o f beaches was usually associated with high population areas. Oceat/o{. Acta, 1982. Pr<x:eedings International Symposium on coastal lagoons. SCOR / IABO / UNESCO, Bordeaux. France. 8-14 September. 1981, 39-43. Étude préliminaire de l'état de pollut ion des côtes du G han