Illegal small-scale gold mining is negatively impacting the water quality of the Birim River in Ghana. Samples taken from downstream and middle sections of the river showed higher levels of turbidity, color, mercury and other parameters compared to upstream sections without mining. This suggests that mining activities are contaminating the river water. Continued use of the polluted water poses health risks and could hurt crop yields for communities that rely on the river. Stricter enforcement is needed to stop mining in the river and provide alternative livelihoods, while further studies will monitor the long term effects.

1. TITLE
ASSESSING THE EFFECT OF ILLEGAL SMALL
SCALE GOLD MINING (GALAMSEY) OPERATIONS
ON THE WATER QUALITY OF THE BIRIM RIVER

2. PROJECT CHAIN
INTRODUCTION
OBJECTIVES
MATERIALS
&
METHODS
RESULTS
DISCUSSIONS
CONCLUSION
&
RECOMMENDATION

3. INTRODUCTION
 Over two thirds of Earth's surface is covered by water.
 As Earth's population continues to grow, people are putting ever-increasing
pressure on the planet's water resources.
 Poorer water quality means water pollution.
 Generally, there are two different ways by which pollution can occur in
water bodies.
 point-source pollution
 nonpoint-source pollution

4. INTR0’ Cont’d
 Surface water which is of interest is susceptible to pollution from an array of
human related factors, a few include; heavy metals from mining activities,
discharging of untreated sewage waste from industrial plant, toxic chemicals
such as PCB’s from electric manufacturing companies, draining of used
nutrients (synthetic fertilizer), dumping of domestic and clinical waste.
 Water pollution caused by mining activities was the main focal point for this
project.
 Basically, mining of gold in Ghana can, however, be seen as small scale and
large scale mining.

5. INTR0’ Cont’d
 Small scale mining- two types, those with license and those without license
 The activity under study and of interest is illegal small-scale gold mining
operations. Thus, those without license.
 Generally, mining of gold is associated with a myriad of socio-economic benefits
as well as environmental problems.
 Ghana Statistical Service, 2015 reported that gold is one of Ghana‘s major
export commodity, contributing to about 13% of the Gross Domestic Product
(GDP).

6. OBJECTIVES
The main objective of the study is to investigate the effects of
illegal small scale mining (Galamsey) operations on the water
quality of the Birim River in the East Akim Municipality of the
Eastern Region.

7. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
 To achieve the main objective, the research aimed at addressing the following
specific objectives:
 To assess the practices of Galamsey operators that have the potential of
affecting the water body.
 To determine the physico-chemical properties (Total Dissolved Solids,
Temperature, Turbidity, and colors (Apparent)) of the Birim river.
 To determine levels of the selected metal (Mercury) of the Birim river.

8. HYPOTHESIS TESTED
Is illegal small-scale gold mining impacting on the
River Birim?

9. MATERIALS & METHODS
 The study was carried out in the East Akim Municipality of the Eastern
Region.
 Overall, twelve (12) water samples were collected from the Birim River
at the following points: Apapam (upstream), Asikam (middle-stream)
and Bunso (Downstream) and the upstream served as a control.
 Sampling began at February, 2016 and ended in March, 2016.
 Sampling was done in two weeks interval.
 Water samples were collected by the use of “BOD” bottles

10. MATERIALS & METHODS Cont’d
 The sampling bottles were rinsed with water samples from the
river before collecting samples from the various sites.
 Samples collected were labelled and described in-situ before
transporting them to the environmental laboratory, Water
Research Institute (WRI) of the Council for Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR), Accra.

11. Temperature by a laboratory thermometer
 The temperature was determined in-situ by a laboratory thermometer.
 By default, the device contains a silver line, the line goes down in cold
weathers and rises up in hot weathers.
 The instrument under discussion was dipped in to the river partly.
 The temperature of the River in question was then read by finding the
actual level of the silver line in the tube against the number on the
temperature scale outside the body of the tube.

12. Turbidity By Nephelometric Method
 The sample was vigorously shaken and poured into a sample cell to at
least 2/3 full.
 The appropriate range was selected using the range knob on the
Turbidimeter.
 When the red light appeared, the next range was moved to and the stable
turbidity reading was recorded directly from the Turbidimeter.

13. Colour By Visual Comparison Method
 Nessler tube was filled to the 50 ml mark with the sample.
The sample was placed in the right hand compartment of the
Nesslerizer lighted cabinet. Distilled water was placed in the
left hand compartment for reference.
 The colour disk was placed in the disk compartment and the
light of the Nesslerizer was switched on. The disk was
rotated until a colour match was obtained. The colour in
Hazen units was read from the disk.

14. Total Dissolved Solids By Gravimetric Method
 Water sample was stirred with a magnetic stirrer and a measured
volume (100ml) was transferred onto a glass-fibre filter using a
measuring cylinder and vacuum applied.
 The glass-fibre filter was washed with three successive 10ml
volumes of reagent grade water, allowing complete drainage
between washings, and suction continued for about three minutes
after filtration.

15. TDS By Gravimetric Method Cont’d
 Total filtrate (with washings) was transferred into a weighed evaporating
dish and evaporated to dryness on a steam bath. The evaporated sample
was dried for at least 1hour in an oven at 180±2oC. It was then cooled in
a desecrator to balance temperature and weigh. The cycle of drying,
cooling, desiccating and weighing was repeated until a constant weight
was obtained.

16. Heavy Metal
 Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS) was used in the detection of the heavy
metal (mercury) at the laboratory.
 The water sample was digested with nitric acid for forty-five minutes.
 The digested sample was diluted to 50ml final volume. A sample solution was
aspirated into a flame and atomized.
 A light beam was directed through the flame into a monochromator and unto a
detector that measured the amount of light absorbed by the element in the flame. The
characteristic wavelength for each element determination was used and the results
were read and documented.

17. RESULTS- Turbidity
 Turbidity increased from the upstream to the downstream.
3.305 21.175
1389.75
5
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
Apapam (Control) Asikam Bunso EPA Standard
MeanofTurbidity(NTU)
Sampling Sites

18. RESULTS- Colour
 Colour gradually increased from the upstream to the middle-stream and
tremendously increased in the downstream
6.3 11.475
670.25
20
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Apapam (Control) Asikam Bunso EPA Standard
MeanOfColour(TCU)
Sampling sites

19. RESULTS-Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
 The levels of total dissolved solids recorded from the downstream
sampling sites were lower than the values obtained for the Control
70.975
90.9
50.5
500
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Apapam (Control) Asikam Bunso EPA Standard
MeanofTDS(mg/L
Sampling sites

20. RESULTS- Temperature
 Temperature values obtained from the downstream and middle-stream
sampling sites were a little lower than the value obtained for the Control
25.5 25 25.325 30
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Apapam ( Control) Asikam Bunso EPA Standard
MeanofTemperature(oC)
Sampling sites

21. RESULTS- Mercury
 Mean values of heavy metal concentration, precisely, mercury obtained from
both the downstream and middle-stream were higher than the Control values
0.00257
0.21775
0.39975
0.005
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
Apapam (Control) Asikam Bunso EPA Standard
MeanofHg(mg/l)
Sampling sites

22. CONCLUSION
 During the period of sampling, higher values were recorded at downstream
sampling points for most of the physico-chemical parameters and were very
high well above the control values, with the exception of total dissolved solids.
 Also, the study has established that most of the physico-chemical properties
and heavy metal concentrations in both the downstream and middle-stream
sampling locations were very high above WHO/GEPA permissible values for
drinking water rendering the water unsafe for domestic use.

23. CONCLUSION
 The high levels of the parameters have been caused by the activities of the illegal
small scale mining. This is because the values obtained from water samples with
mining activities were higher than the upstream portion of the water samples
without any mining activities. Thus, it can be concluded that, illegal small-scale
gold mining activities have impacted negatively on the water quality of the Birim
River based on all the parameters studied.
 Additionally, the high levels may have a detrimental effect on the health status of
the communities that use the river. I therefore suggest that the mining activities in
the river must stop and alternative livelihood must be found for those engaged in
the activities.

24. RECOMMENDATION
 Based on my findings I point out that farmers mostly within the downstream
and middle-stream locations should not irrigate their crop plants with the
untreated Birim River, because they will encounter a tremendous loss in crop
yields.
 There should be regular follow-up studies to measure the levels of heavy
metals, physico-chemical properties and other toxic and persistent chemicals in
the River Birim. This is very imperative to further substantiate this study,
document improvements and degradations, etc.