Assessment of Mercury Pollution in Rivers and Streams around Artisanal Gold Mining Areas of the Birim North District of Ghana

In many sub-Saharan countries where poverty and an abundance of natural resources seem to coexist, it comes as no surprise that legal and illegal artisanal mining is on the rise as the poor seek a source of income. However, while relatively lucrative, because of unsophisticated extraction techniques, small-scale gold miners release about 1,350 tons of mercury into water bodies annually. Ghana, the second greatest producer of gold in Africa, releases close to five tons of mercury per year.  Nartey et al. (2011) measured the mercury levels up and downstream rivers, streams, boreholes and, sediments during rainy and dry seasons in the Birim North District of Ghana where small-scale mining is common. 
http://www.claremontclimatereport.com/2012/09/assessment-of-mercury-pollution-in.html