The Artisanal and Small Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) sector is known to be the largest user of mercury globally, emitting 727 tons of mercury annually accounting for about 35% of global air emissions, and releasing about 800 tons of mercury into water bodies. ASGM activities in Ghana are known for the use of mercury for the amalgamation of gold. In the case of illegal gold mining, which has become a popular but unfortunate phenomenon, research by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) indicates that almost all of the mercury used in such activities are released into land and water bodies. Mercury poisoning due to illegal mining has affected the soil and the quality of drinking water in communities close to river bodies like the Birim, Enu, Pra, Bonsa and Ankobra which have been badly polluted.
read more... http://gh.one.un.org/content/unct/ghana/en/home/media-centre/news-and-press-releases/the-creeping-mercury-menace.html
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