Water Values in a Ghanaian Small-Scale Gold Mining Community

Abstract

Water scarcity, quality, and control are growing problems worldwide. In this paper, values associated with water—sociocultural, economic, and chemical—in a small-scale gold mining community in northeastern Ghana are considered. Mining activities have affected the quality of locally scarce water resources. In an area without government provision of water, this situation has also forced community members to develop innovative water strategies that reflect the ways that water is understood and valued with regard to personal health and the environment as well as to the seasonality of water acquisition. These community evaluations of water in the gold mining community are then compared with the chemical analysis of water samples collected near the gold mining site. The ways in which these evaluations of water quality—based on particular knowledge systems—coincide and differ suggest the need for community participation in environmental and health assessment as well as government oversight and water provision. An examination of the connections between gold mining, water, and health; work and gender; and cultural and chemical assessments of water quality situates this particular water world within larger global concerns about small-scale gold mining, the roles of mining communities and government, and water sustainability.

Integrated Assessment of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Ghana—Part 1: Human Health Review

“…Samples of pito , a locally-produced millet beer consumed in northern Ghana and other parts of West Africa, had concentrations of aluminium, chromium, manganese, nickel, zinc, arsenic, and lead above WHO drinking water standards. This finding may be due to the pito being made with water from mine pits, the excavation of which had likely mobilized these elements [ 110 ].…”

“…Other water sources in the community included a tube well/borehole, a dug well, rainwater, and bottled water, but each of these was only ever used by 1.9%, 1.9% 5.6%, and 1.9% of the participants, respectively. Though most survey participants said that mine pit water was never used for drinking, multiple people reported using it for bathing, and researchers witnessed mine pit water being used to brew pito [ 110 ]. Samples from drinking water sources (including a well at a nearby foreign-operated mine, a stream, mine pits, and pito ) tested positive for coliform bacteria, indicating possible contamination.…”

Pulmonary function and respiratory health of rural farmers and artisanal and small scale gold miners in Ghana

“…Within the country ASGM accounts for 10.5% of Ghana’s national gold production and employs between 500,000 and 1 million people mostly in rural areas (Basu, 2015b). Since 2009, our research team has conducted field studies to examine associations between a range of exposures and health outcomes in ASGM communities in the Talensi-Nabdam District of Ghana’s Upper East Region (Paruchuri et al, 2010; Basu et al, 2011; Renne et al, 2011, Long et al 2015, Long et al 2013, Rajaee et al 2015b, Rajaee et al 2015c). To increase understanding of potential respiratory health effects in ASGM communities, here we conducted a comparative study in the Talensi-Nabdam District of Ghana to compare exposure-outcome relationships between an ASGM community and a non-mining, subsistence farming community, and also focus on two main a priori areas of concern for potential adverse respiratory effects to workers and the surrounding community: 1) inhalational exposure to dust and potentially crystalline silica that may be present in gold ore, which is directly associated with the mining process; and 2) the use of biomass fuels for cooking, associated with the general living conditions of such communities.…”

An Integrated Assessment Approach to Address Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Ghana

“…Mercury contamination of water, soil, and food is well documented in ASGM communities, and newer studies have documented that exposures to other toxic elements such as arsenic and lead may be widespread [ 14 ]. Many residents have expressed deep concern about access to clean water, but are willing to accept compromised water quality in exchange for income and sustenance [ 15 ]. In Ghana, while unlicensed small-scale gold mining is illegal, the government is unable to monitor the activities of galamsey miners [ 16 ].…”

“…Conducting the activity in Ghana made sense for many reasons. Foremost is that the Co-Principal Investigators have been working in Ghana since 2006, and ASGM was amongst the various topics under investigation [ 15 , 19 , 25 , 26 ]. Over time relationships had been formed with stakeholders including community residents, mine concession owners, government officials, and researchers from across academia, NGOs, and the government.…”