Abstract:Mining activities accelerate the rate and degree of changes in the natural environment. These activities modify landscapes and can have long-term pollution impacts on communities and water resources due to their physical degrading nature, as well as their use of chemicals and other harmful substances. This study carried out by Department of Energy and Environmental Engineering of the University of Energy and Natural Resources therefore sought to assess the role of Newmont Akyem towards affecting the various wa… Show more
“…6, 7, 8, and 9). This results on River Kwabrafo is generally in agreement with the results of a water quality study for the Afosu Stream (pH 7.2, TDS 165.7 and TSS 18.8) and River Pra (pH: 7.3, TDS: 172.2, TSS: 125) in a study conducted in the Eastern Region of Ghana by (Attiogbe and Nkansah, 2017). Results of a study by (Hadzi et al., 2015) on Rivers in close proximity to gold mining activities recorded conductivity ranges of 2790–2890 μs/cm (Bonsa River) and 2070–2079 μs/cm (Subri River) exceeding the EPA guidelines with measurements for the Birim River 442–1890 μs/cm falling within the EPA guideline.…”
Section: Resultssupporting
confidence: 90%
“…The results of these two studies are in agreement with the results on the arsenic levels in River Kwabrafo albeit the maximum arsenic value (3.97 mg/L) recorded in River Kwabrafo being significantly higher. Arsenic levels in River Kwabrafo was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than arsenic levels reported by (Hadzi et al., 2015; Attiogbe and Nkansah, 2017) in River Pra, Bosomkese Forest River, Atiwa Range River and the Ankasa Forest River. All studies so far had not categorized the quality of water bodies in mining communities in Ghana into the suitability of water for uses such as irrigation, recreation among others which the present study focuses on.Fig.…”
The AKOBEN Programme, an environmental performance rating and disclosure initiative that show the environmental performance of gold mining firms with reference to their daily activities post environmental impact assessment and issuance of an environmental permit was introduced in Ghana to serve as a monitoring and verification tool towards environmental compliance and responsible mining. As to whether the AKOBEN Programme is enhancing the environment and or safeguarding public health in Ghana needs to be investigated. A systematic multi-methods environmental audit approach comprising of comparative analysis, time series analysis, air and water quality indices were used within the framework of the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response to answer the questions what is happening to the environment and what the consequences for the environment and humanity are. The quality and suitability of River Kwabrafo as a habitat for aquatic life, for agricultural, recreational and drinking purposes pre and post AKOBEN Programme introduction as well as the quality of agricultural soils and river sediments in gold mining communities was determined. The study revealed that the AKOBEN Programme rates gold mining firms based on variable-by-variable concentrations of toxic water pollutants such as As, Cd, Hg, CN and non-toxic water pollutants such as pH, suspended solids, dissolved solids and electrical conductivity without taking into account the cumulative effect of the pollutants and the various uses of water. Results on the quality of River Kwabrafo based on the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index confirmed no differences in water quality concerning use for agriculture, recreation, drinking and as a habitat for aquatic life before and after the introduction of the AKOBEN Programme. The study also revealed the quality of air at Anyinam to be acceptable with reference to PM10 and unhealthy with reference to total suspended particulate (TSP). The AKOBEN Programme failed to delineate TSP into oxides of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methyl mercury and oxides of sulphur for which reason the impacts of greenhouse gases and methyl mercury on the Obuasi Municipality could not be investigated under the AKOBEN Programme. Mean arsenic concentrations for all study sites exceeded the arsenic reference for Ghana with significant differences existing between mean soil Cd and Hg levels at AKOBEN sites, Non-AKOBEN sites and Control sites. This study will not only elucidate the environmental and health problems associated with gold mining operations at AKOBEN and Non-AKOBEN sites in Ghana, but will also present complex water quality data into simple communication format for easy understanding to policy makers and non-expert audience.
“…6, 7, 8, and 9). This results on River Kwabrafo is generally in agreement with the results of a water quality study for the Afosu Stream (pH 7.2, TDS 165.7 and TSS 18.8) and River Pra (pH: 7.3, TDS: 172.2, TSS: 125) in a study conducted in the Eastern Region of Ghana by (Attiogbe and Nkansah, 2017). Results of a study by (Hadzi et al., 2015) on Rivers in close proximity to gold mining activities recorded conductivity ranges of 2790–2890 μs/cm (Bonsa River) and 2070–2079 μs/cm (Subri River) exceeding the EPA guidelines with measurements for the Birim River 442–1890 μs/cm falling within the EPA guideline.…”
Section: Resultssupporting
confidence: 90%
“…The results of these two studies are in agreement with the results on the arsenic levels in River Kwabrafo albeit the maximum arsenic value (3.97 mg/L) recorded in River Kwabrafo being significantly higher. Arsenic levels in River Kwabrafo was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than arsenic levels reported by (Hadzi et al., 2015; Attiogbe and Nkansah, 2017) in River Pra, Bosomkese Forest River, Atiwa Range River and the Ankasa Forest River. All studies so far had not categorized the quality of water bodies in mining communities in Ghana into the suitability of water for uses such as irrigation, recreation among others which the present study focuses on.Fig.…”
The AKOBEN Programme, an environmental performance rating and disclosure initiative that show the environmental performance of gold mining firms with reference to their daily activities post environmental impact assessment and issuance of an environmental permit was introduced in Ghana to serve as a monitoring and verification tool towards environmental compliance and responsible mining. As to whether the AKOBEN Programme is enhancing the environment and or safeguarding public health in Ghana needs to be investigated. A systematic multi-methods environmental audit approach comprising of comparative analysis, time series analysis, air and water quality indices were used within the framework of the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response to answer the questions what is happening to the environment and what the consequences for the environment and humanity are. The quality and suitability of River Kwabrafo as a habitat for aquatic life, for agricultural, recreational and drinking purposes pre and post AKOBEN Programme introduction as well as the quality of agricultural soils and river sediments in gold mining communities was determined. The study revealed that the AKOBEN Programme rates gold mining firms based on variable-by-variable concentrations of toxic water pollutants such as As, Cd, Hg, CN and non-toxic water pollutants such as pH, suspended solids, dissolved solids and electrical conductivity without taking into account the cumulative effect of the pollutants and the various uses of water. Results on the quality of River Kwabrafo based on the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index confirmed no differences in water quality concerning use for agriculture, recreation, drinking and as a habitat for aquatic life before and after the introduction of the AKOBEN Programme. The study also revealed the quality of air at Anyinam to be acceptable with reference to PM10 and unhealthy with reference to total suspended particulate (TSP). The AKOBEN Programme failed to delineate TSP into oxides of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methyl mercury and oxides of sulphur for which reason the impacts of greenhouse gases and methyl mercury on the Obuasi Municipality could not be investigated under the AKOBEN Programme. Mean arsenic concentrations for all study sites exceeded the arsenic reference for Ghana with significant differences existing between mean soil Cd and Hg levels at AKOBEN sites, Non-AKOBEN sites and Control sites. This study will not only elucidate the environmental and health problems associated with gold mining operations at AKOBEN and Non-AKOBEN sites in Ghana, but will also present complex water quality data into simple communication format for easy understanding to policy makers and non-expert audience.
“…Recent studies however predict reductions in rainfall and therefore water resources in some of the major river basins in Ghana under future climate scenarios [82,83]. Water quality in the river basins is also being impacted by LULC changes including agricultural and illegal mining activities [84][85][86]. Collectively these observations suggest that addressing future changes effectively will involve better planning, management, and monitoring of water resources.…”
Changes in land cover (LC) can lead to environmental challenges, but few studies have investigated LC changes at a country wide scale in Ghana. Tracking LC changes at such a scale overtime is relevant for devising solutions to emerging issues. This study examined LC changes in Ghana for the past almost two and half decades covering 1995–2019 to highlight significant changes and opportunities for sustainable development. The study used land cover data for six selected years (1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2019) obtained from the European Space Agency. The data was analyzed using R, ArcGIS Pro and Microsoft Excel 365 ProPlus. The original data was reclassified into eight LC categories, namely: agriculture, bare area, built-up, forest, grassland, other vegetation, waterbody, and wetland. On average, the results revealed 0.7%, 131.7%, 23.3%, 46.9%, and 11.2% increases for agriculture, built-up, forest, waterbody, and wetland, respectively, across the nation. However, losses were observed for bare area (92.8%), grassland (51.1%), and other vegetation (41%) LCs overall. Notably, agricultural land use increased up to 2015 and decreased subsequently but this did not affect production of the major staple foods. These findings reveal the importance of LC monitoring and the need for strategic efforts to address the causes of undesirable change.
“…The Adwinsa, Akurakan and Nana Ameyaw communities are part of the many rural communities in the Sunyani West District where the people have problems with potable water. Many of these rural communities depend either wholly or majorly on streams and rivers for all their water needs (Sakyi et al, 2018;Attiogbe and Nkansah, 2017). Some have only one borehole serving the entire community to complement their water needs from the streams or rivers.…”
This paper employs the electromagnetic (EM) and the electrical resistivity methods for siting boreholes for communities in the Sunyani-West district of Ghana, a terrane comprising a mixture of granites and low-grade metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks. These communities which depend on groundwater for livelihood have over the past few decades been hit by drastic seasonal irregularities in rainfall, making it imperative to seek an alternative source of potable water (preferably groundwater). Measurements to locate sites for boreholes were made by employing the Geonics EM-34 conductivity meter. In addition, co-located measurements were made with the ABEM SAS 1000C Terrameter in the Schlumberger electrode array configuration. Results of the measurements showed that each community could have at least two borehole sites with a high potential for groundwater extraction. The overburden of selected sites varied for the communities and ranged from 40 to 67 m. However, recommended drilling depths at these sites were 60 m for Adwinsa community, 70 m for Akurakan community and 60 m for Nana Ameyaw community. Test boreholes sunk at respective depths of 45 m, 55 m and 68 m in Adwinsa, Nana Ameyaw and Akurakan had yields of 12 m 3 /h (200 l/min), 24 m 3 /h (400 l/min) and 1.14 m 3 /h (19 l/min) respectively. In all three communities the aquifer was intercepted in phyllite bedrocks.
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