Open Access Library Journal 2022, Volume 9, e8331 ISSN Online: 2333-9721 ISSN Print: 2333-9705 DOI: 10.4236/oalib.1108331 Dec. 28, 2022 1 Open Access Library Journal Trace Metals Evaluation of Groundwater in the Granito-Basaltic Fractured Rock Aquiferous Formations in Bafoussam, West Region—Cameroon Jovens Nyangang Aduck, Agbor Ngale Ma-Effeti, Sharon Ntube Ngwese, Richard Ayuk II Akoachere * Department of Geology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon Abstract Bafoussam is situated between latitude 5.42N - 5.60N and longitude 10.38E - 10.48E, is the capital and largest city in the Western Region of Cameroon. In- creased urbanization and agricultural activities have potentials for trace metal pollution of groundwater. As such, trace metals evaluation of groundwater in Bafoussam is among the most important environmental issues related to contamination from natural and anthropogenic sources. This study investi- gated the trace metal content of groundwater sources; determined estimates of the health hazard and pollution risk indices; assessed the health hazard and level of risk to trace metal pollution in Bafoussam. Field measurement of physicochemical parameters from 206 Dug-wells and chemical analysis of 10 representative groundwater samples determined their trace metal content using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy ICP-MS and R-mode statistical analysis; Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) and Pearson’s corre- lation analysis (PCA) of the trace metal content with the physico-chemical parameters were carried out. Four pollution hazards were determined: the average daily dose ADD, carcinogenic risks CR, non-carcinogenic risk hazard quotient HQ and hazard index HI. Six pollution risks were determined: the Degree of contamination DC, Enrichment factor EF, Ecological risk factor Er, Ecological risk index RI, Pollution load index PLI, and geo-accumulation in- dex Igeo. The relative abundance of trace metals levels in the sampled groundwater follows the decreasing order: Zn > Ba > Sr > Cu > Mn > Fe > Pb > Cr > Ni > Co > V > Cd > As > Li. HCA distinguishes trace metals into two clusters: cluster one is made up of 2 elements divided into two classes and cluster two is made up of 12 non soluble elements divided into three classes. How to cite this paper: Aduck, J.N., Ma-Effeti, A.N., Ngwese, S.N. and Akoachere, R.A. II (2022) Trace Metals Evaluation of Groundwater in the Granito-Basaltic Fractured Rock Aquiferous Formations in Bafoussam, West Region—Cameroon. Open Access Library Journal, 9: e8331. https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1108331 Received: December 27, 2021 Accepted: February 25, 2022 Published: February 28, 2022 Copyright © 2022 by author(s) and Open Access Library Inc. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY 4.0). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Open Access