Mining Areas: Toxic levels of lead found in fish, vegetables, others – Study

A new environmental study has confirmed alarming levels of mercury, arsenic, lead, and other toxic metals in fish, vegetables, tomatoes, cereals, legumes, and tubers from Ghana’s artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) regions.

The findings raise urgent concerns for food safety, public health, and the environment.

The year-long study, Mercury and Other Heavy Metals Impact Assessment, conducted by Pure Earth in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) between August 2024 and September 2025, examined soil, water, air, and food across six regions — Ashanti, Eastern, Central, Western, Western North, and Savannah.

Lead contamination was particularly worrying. Fish samples from Akwaboso (Central Region) and Konongo Zongo (Ashanti Region) exceeded World Health Organization (WHO) safety thresholds, with some measuring 2.8 mg/kg. Vegetables such as pumpkin leaves in Western North showed lead levels of 3.1 mg/kg, while everyday staples like kontomire, tomatoes, cereals, legumes, and tubers also carried unsafe concentrations of heavy metals.

Mercury levels were equally dangerous. Soil in Konongo Zongo recorded 1,342 ppm — over 130 times higher than the safe limit — while airborne mercury in Wassa Kayianko (Western Region) peaked at 150 μg/m³, 150 times Ghana’s permissible level. Arsenic was also widespread, with soil in Konongo Zongo testing at 10,060 ppm and water in Konongo Odumase reaching 3.3 mg/L, both far beyond safe drinking and farming standards.

The report cautions that residents in these areas face chronic exposure through contaminated food, water, and air, leading to long-term health risks such as neurological damage, kidney disease, and impaired child development.

To address the crisis, the study recommends targeted remediation in hotspots like Konongo Zongo, expanded monitoring, culturally tailored health education, and the creation of a National ASGM Environmental Response Task Force.

Researchers warn that unless swift action is taken, toxic contamination in Ghana’s mining regions could threaten food security, devastate livelihoods, and worsen public health outcomes nationwide.