About

Prof. Eureka Emefa Ahadjie Adomako has over two decades of teaching and research experience in ecology and environmental science. Her research explores the intersections of environmental pollution, plant-soil interactions, and biodiversity conservation. She has led or contributed to studies on the food-chain impacts of mining and e-waste pollution, and the ex-situ conservation of crop wild relatives in Ghana. Her work on the accumulation of potentially toxic elements in rice and other staple grains has been published in leading international journals and has informed policies on environmental management, food safety, and public health. Besides her current academic leadership role as Head of Department and member of statutory and ad hoc university committees, Prof. Adomako is actively engaged in the wider scholarly community as an external assessor, examiner, and peer reviewer for academic journals. Through her teaching, research supervision and mentorship, she is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of plant and environmental biologists in Africa and beyond.

Education

BSc (Ghana) MPhil (Cambridge) MPhil (Ghana) PhD (Aberdeen)

Research Interest

Plant responses to environmental contaminants.

Food-chain impacts of environmental contaminants

Ecology and Ethnobotany of neglected African crops

Biodiversity Conservation & Ecosystem restoration

Publications

Refereed Journal Articles

• Atampugbire G., Adomako E.E.A. and Quaye, O. (2025) In Vitro Antiviral Assays: A Review of Laboratory Methods. Assay and Drug Development Technologies, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers https://doi.org/10.1089/adt.2024.075
• Adomako E.E.A., Aboagye-Ghunney K. and Owusu, P. (2024) Survey of rice (Oryza sativa L.) production ecosystems in northern Ghana confirms low risk of exposure to potential toxic elements from local grain consumption. FACETS, 9, 1-7. 
• Atampugbire G., Adomako E.E.A and Quaye, O. (2024) Medicinal Plants as Effective Antiviral Agents and Their Potential Benefits. Natural Product Communications, 19(9): 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1934578X241282923 
• Adomako E.E.A. & Dellor, D. (2023) A preliminary assessment of the effect of urban waste pollution in the Korle Lagoon Area of Accra, Ghana, on nutrition and growth of maize (Zea mays L.) plants. Agricultural Sciences, 14, 843-854. DOI: 10.4236/as.2023.146056
• Adomako E.E.A., Winowiecki L., Gebrekirstos A. & Jamnadass, R. (2023) The role of basic sciences in addressing global challenges to sustainable development: experiences from CIFOR-ICRAF. Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development, 3 (1), 34-47.
• Adomako E.E.A., Raab A., Norton G.J. & Meharg A.A. (2022) Potential toxic element (PTE) soil concentrations at an urban unregulated Ghanaian e-waste recycling centre: environmental contamination, human exposure and policy implications. Exposure and Health, 2022, 1-10. DOI: 10.1007/s12403-022-00516-x 
• Shi, Z., Carey, M., Meharg, C., Williams, P. N., Signes-Pastor, A. J., Triwardhani, E. A., Pandiangan, F. I., Campbell, K., Elliott, C., Marwa, E. M., Jiujin, X., Farias, J. G., Nicoloso, F. T., De Silva, P. M. C. S., Lu, Y., Norton, G., Adomako, E., Green, A. J.,  Moreno-Jiménez, E., Zhu, Y., Carbonell-Barrachina, Á. A., Haris, P. I., Lawgali, Y. F., Sommella, A., Pigna, M., Brabet, C., Montet, D., Njira, K., Watts, M. J., Hossain, M., Islam, M. R. and Meharg, A. A. (2020) Rice grain cadmium concentrations in the global supply-chain. Exposure and Health, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-020-00349-6.
• Carey, M., Meharg, C., Williams, P., Marwa, E., Jiujin, X., Farias, J. G., De Silva, P. M. C. S., Signes-Pastor, A., Lu, Y., Nicoloso, F. T., Savage, L., Campbell, K., Elliott, C., Adomako, E., Green, A. J., Moreno-Jiménez, E., Carbonell-Barrachina, Á. A., Triwardhani, E. A., Pandiangan, F.  I., Haris, P. I., Lawgali, Y. F., Sommella, A., Pigna, M., Brabet, C., Montet, D., Njira, K., Watts, M. J. & Meharg, A. A. (2020) Correction to: Global sourcing of low-inorganic arsenic rice grain. Exposure and Health, 2019. DOI: 10.1007/s12403-019-00341-9.
• Carey, M., Meharg, C., Williams, P., Marwa, E., Jiujin, X., Farias, J. G., De Silva, P. M. C. S., Signes-Pastor, A., Lu, Y., Nicoloso, F. T., Savage, L., Campbell, K., Elliott, C., Adomako, E., Green, A. J.,  Moreno-Jiménez, E., Carbonell-Barrachina, Á. A., Triwardhani, E. A., Pandiangan, F.  I., Haris, P. I., Lawgali, Y. F., Sommella, A., Pigna, M., Brabet, C., Montet, D., Njira, K., Watts, M. J. and Meharg, A. A. (2019) Global sourcing of low-inorganic arsenic rice grain. Exposure and Health, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-019-00330-y. 
• Opuni, N. M., Adomako, E. E. A. and Adomako, J. K. (2018) African Rice (Oryza glaberrima Steud) and its wild progenitor (Oryza barthii A.Chev. & Roehr) under threat in the Volta Region of Ghana. Science and Development 2, 10-21. 
• Adomako, E. E. A., Deacon, C. S. and Meharg, A. A. (2014) Impacts of gold mining on rice production in the Anum Valley of Ghana. Agricultural Sciences 5, 793-804.
• Norton, G.J., Williams, P.N., Adomako, E.E., Price, A.H., Zhu, Y.-G., Zhao, F.-J., McGrath, S.,  Deacon, C.M., Villada, A., Sommella, A., Lu, Y., Ming, L.,  De Silva, P.M.C.S., Brammer, H., Dasgupta, T.,  Islam, M.R. and Meharg, A.A. (2014) Lead in rice: analysis of baseline lead levels in market and field collected rice grains. Science of the Total Environment 485, 428-434. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.03.090
• Meharg, A. A., Norton, G., Deacon, C., Williams, P., Adomako, E. E., Price, A., Zhu, Y., Li, G., Zhao, F.-J., McGrath, S., Villada, A., Sommella, A., Mangala, P., De Silva, C. S., Brammer, H., Dasgupta, T. and Islam, M. R. (2013) Variation in rice cadmium related to human exposure. Environmental Science and Technology 47, 5613-5618.
• Norton, G. J., Adomako, E. E., Deacon, C. M., Carey A.-M., Price, A. H. and Meharg, A. A. (2013). Effect of organic matter amendment, arsenic amendment and water management regime on rice grain arsenic species. Environmental Pollution 177, 38-47.
• Adomako, E. E., Williams, P. N., Deacon, C. and Meharg, A. A. (2011) Inorganic arsenic and trace elements in Ghanaian grain staples. Environmental Pollution 159, 2435-2442.
• Adomako, E. E., Deacon, C. and Meharg, A. A. (2010) Variations in concentrations of arsenic and other potentially toxic elements in mine and paddy soils and irrigation waters from southern Ghana. Water Quality Exposure and Health 2, 115-124.
• Adomako, E. E., Solaiman, A. R. M., Williams, P. N., Deacon, C., Rahman, G. K. M. M. and Meharg, A. A. (2009) Enhanced transfer of arsenic to grain for Bangladesh grown rice compared to US and EU. Environment International 35, 476-479.
• Lu, Y., Adomako, E. E., Solaiman, A. R. M., Islam, M. R., Deaon, C., Williams, P. N., Rahman, G. K. M. M. and Meharg, A. A. (2009) Baseline soil variation is a major factor in arsenic accumulation in Bengal delta paddy rice. Environmental Science and Technology 43, 1724-1729.
• Meharg, A. A., Williams, P. N., Adomako, E., Lawgali, Y. Y., Deacon, C., Villada, A., Cambell, R. C. J., Sun, G., Zhu, Y.-G., Feldmann, J., Raab, A., Zhao, F.-J., Islam, R., Hossain, S. and Yanai, J. (2009) Geographical Variation in Total and Inorganic Arsenic Content of Polished (White) Rice. Environmental Science and Technology 43, 1612-1617.
• Williams, P. N., Islam, S., Islam, R., Jahiruddin, M., Adomako, E., Solaiman, A. R. M., Rahman, G. K. M. M., Lu, Y., Deacon, C., Zhu, Y.-G. and Meharg, A. A. (2009) Arsenic limits trace mineral nutrition (selenium, zinc and nickel) in Bangladesh rice grain. Environmental Science and Technology 43, 8430-8436.
• Williams, P. N., Enzo, L., Sun, G., Scheckel, K., Zhu, Y.-G., Feng, X., Zhu, J., Carey, A.-M., Adomako, E., Lawgali, Y., Deacon, C. and Meharg, A. A. (2009) Selenium characterization in the global rice supply chain. Environmental Science and Technology 43, 6024-6030.
• Meharg, A. A., Sun, G., Williams, P. N., Adomako, E., Deacon, C., Zhu, Y.-G., Feldmann, J. and Raab, A. (2008) Inorganic arsenic levels in baby rice are of concern. Environmental Pollution 152, 746-749. 
• Williams, P. N., Islam, M. R., Adomako, E. E., Raab, A., Hossain, S. A., Zhu, Y. G., Feldmann, J. and Meharg, A. A. (2006) Increase in rice grain arsenic for regions of Bangladesh irrigating paddies with elevated arsenic in groundwaters. Environmental Science and Technology 40, 4903-4908.

Book Chapters

• Bakaar, M. I., Ampadu-Agyei, O., Adomako, E. and Ham, R. (2002). Bushmeat utilization, human livelihoods and conservation of large mammals in West Africa. In Mainka, S. and Trivedi, M. (eds.) Links between biodiversity conservation, livelihoods and food security: the sustainable use of wild species for meat, pp. 45–53. Occasional Paper of the IUCN Species Survival Commission No. 24.
• Adomako, E. E., Adomako, J. K. and Bayliss-Smith, T. P. (1998). Conservation by tradition: the case of the Guako sacred grove. In Amlalo, D. S. et al. (eds.) Biodiversity conservation: traditional knowledge and modern concepts, pp. 7–15. Proceedings of the 3rd UNESCO MAB/BRAAF Regional Seminar, Cape Coast, 9 – 12 March 1997, EPA, Ghana.

Notable Projects

• Elucidating global variations in rice grain concentrations of arsenic and other potential toxic elements (PTEs).
• Towards a more complete coverage of the diversity of crop wild relatives from Ghana in ex situ collections.
• Effects of e-waste recycling and urban waste pollution in the Korle Lagoon Area of Accra on soil potential toxic element (PTE) concentrations, plant nutrition and growth.