Impacts of Illegal Small-Scale Mining (Galamsey) on Manse and Ankobra Rivers in the Prestea Huni-valley Municipality of Ghana

Abstract

Water samples from four sampling sites (Ankobra upstream (AUS), Ankobra downstream (ADS), Manse upstream (MUS) and Manse downstream (MDS) along the profile of Ankobra and Manse rivers in PresteaHuni-Valley Municipality in the Western Region of Ghana were collected and analysed for a period of six months with the aim of assessing the effects of illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) on the water quality. Levels of physicochemical parameters such as Potential of Hydrogen ( pH), Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Electrical Conductivity (EC), Turbidity, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), True Colour and heavy metals such as Iron (Fe), Lead (Pb), Copper (Cu), Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd) and Mercury (Hg) were determined. The levels of the parameters studied suggest that illegal small-scale gold mining operations have impacted negatively on the water quality of the Ankobra and Manse rivers looking at the high levels of true colour, turbidity, total suspended solids, iron and mercury which exceeded the WHO recommended guideline values, the clayey undrinkable water from the two rivers, the fishes and other aquatic creatures that have died and the pits that have been dug along the banks of the rivers which now serve as breeding places for mosquitoes.