SHEATHE: Xenobiotic substances and heavy metals in the environment – a threat to health, ecosystems and development in Ghana

The team visited the Gbani township in the Upper Eastern part of the country. Gbani is one of several communities in Ghana where artisanal mining activities is still on going and is fundamental to the economic livelihoods of the inhabitants.  The visit was made so that team members will experience at firsthand how artisanal mining is done and how it contributes directly to environmental pollution.

After a visit to the Gbani chief’s palace, the crew was then taken on an excursion round the community to see how a mining activity in search for gold is done. The team staged a brief demonstration on how the mercury analyzer is used to show the people of the community how the toxic metal is determined in soil samples. They then educated the people of community on some of that harmful effects artisanal mining poses on the environment.