Assessing the environmental and health impact of small-scale mining in the Amansie West District of Ashanti region, Ghana
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Date
November, 2015
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Abstract
Small-scale mining activities (both legally and illegally) continue to be sighted in mineral prone communities in Ghana. Little is known of the health consequences of such activities in a relatively new and heavy mining area of Amansie West District. This study used both qualitative and quantitative data analysis to follow the footprint of both the environmental and health impacts of small-scale mining activities in the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region. A total of nineteen (19) soil samples were purposively collected from twelve (12) mining communities in the Amansie West District, prepared and analysed at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission for Arsenic (As) and Mercury (Hg) heavy metals. A further 424 questionnaires were randomly administered in the twelve mining communities from October to November 2014 to assess the environmental and health impacts of small-scale mining activities in the District. Analysis of the results showed mean concentrations of Hg in both soil and water were respectively higher than optimal regulatory limits of the Dutch Environmental standards of 0.30ppm and 0.05ppm, with mean concentrations of As in both soils and water from the sampling sites lower than the optimal regulatory limit of the Dutch Environmental standard of 29ppm and 10ppm in soil and water respectively. The results indicated a significantly negative correlation between Arsenic and Mercury in soil but a weak correlation between same in water samples. The degree of contamination assessment showed six zones among the areas considered as very highly contaminated sites. Destruction of forest and farm lands alongside water pollution were reported as the main environmental impacts experienced by respondents while malaria, respiratory and skin diseases were reported by respondents as the main health concerns of the people in these studied communities. Government, both national and local, community leaders, public health workers and the miners need to play their respective roles of enforcing regulation, promoting public health education and practicing environmentally sound small-scale mining activities so as to reduce the health and social risks and the rising concerns of environmental degradation from small-scale mining.
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A thesis submitted to the Department of Health Promotion and Education, College of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, in partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Public Health in Health Education and Promotion, 2015