A food systems toxicologist and health risk assessment expert at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Dr. Ekpor Anyimah-Ackah, has sounded a strong alarm over the nationwide dangers of illegal mining (galamsey), warning that its toxic impact extends far beyond mining communities.
In an interview, Dr. Anyimah-Ackah explained that every Ghanaian is at risk because much of the country’s food is sourced from areas heavily polluted by galamsey activities.
“If you are not living in a galamsey zone, you are still at risk,” he cautioned.
He revealed that crops grown in mining-prone areas absorb harmful substances from contaminated soil and water, with those toxins eventually ending up on the plates of unsuspecting consumers across the country.
“Our food baskets are located in areas vulnerable to galamsey. Crops take up these substances, they remain in the food, and they bioaccumulate in the human body. Every meal adds to the toxic load,” he explained.
According to him, many of Ghana’s key farming zones overlap with illegal mining hotspots, where soils and rivers are laced with mercury, arsenic, and other heavy metals. Long-term consumption of such contaminated food, he warned, can lead to organ damage, developmental disorders, and even cancer.
Sharing his personal experience, Dr. Anyimah-Ackah described the worrying state of water in his own community.
“In Winneba, where I work and live, we have not had clean water for as long as I can remember. Since last year until now, the water we drink is brown. This is what we are exposing the next generation to,” he lamented.
