Osagyefo Ofori Panin observed that galamsey activities exposed many Ghanaians to health challenges through the drinking of water contaminated by gaseous mercury, adding that many rural dwellers living along the banks of rivers were exposed to mercury-contaminated raw water.
Indeed, traces of two heavy metals, arsenic and mercury, found in the Birim River in a research conducted by the Water Research Institute (WRI) have been tagged as harmful by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“Mercury may have toxic effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems and on lungs, kidneys, the skin and eyes. People are mainly exposed to methylmercury, an organic compound, when they eat fish and shellfish that contain the compound,” the WHO said on its website.
The Okyenhene, therefore, urged the government to ban the sale of mercury.
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Freeze-small-scale-mining-Okyenhene-527353
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