Galamsey: Restoring polluted water bodies will take 10 to 15 years – Toxicologist
Dr. Bright Boafo Boamah, a Medical Doctor and Toxicologist has revealed that it could take between 10 to 15 years to restore Ghana’s water bodies polluted by illegal mining activities, commonly known as galamsey.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, October 12, Dr Boamah emphasized the severe environmental damage caused by galamsey and the extensive time required to restore these water sources.
He explained that the chemicals and heavy metals used in illegal mining, such as mercury and cyanide, have deeply contaminated Ghana’s rivers and streams, making the restoration process both challenging and lengthy.
Dr Boamah noted that even with immediate intervention, the ecological recovery would require long-term efforts, including continuous monitoring and remediation strategies.
Dr Boamah also highlighted the potential health risks posed by the contaminated water bodies, including toxic exposure to both humans and wildlife.
He stressed the urgent need for strict enforcement of environmental laws and called on the government to implement sustainable solutions that would prevent further pollution of the country’s natural resources.
In his closing remarks, Dr Boamah urged all stakeholders to take the fight against galamsey seriously, warning that failure to act now would have devastating consequences for future generations.
He called on civil society and the general public to support efforts aimed at restoring the country’s water bodies and protecting the environment.
“Currently, most of the antibiotics are not responding because normally it’s due to poor use of antibiotics or prescriptions, but it has also been shown that this heavy metal induces some antimicrobial resistance.”
“So we are not really dealing with a very simple issue and even if we should look at how to restore the water bodies and if we should start now, I think somewhere between 10-15 [Years] to be able to do this and I know there are some water bodies that cannot be restored,” he stated.