Invitation to Inaugural Lecture by Prof. Vincent K. Nartey

ABSTRACT

Ghana is richly endowed with gold and it did not take long for the colonial masters to recognize this and therefore decided to call the land the GOLD COAST. Gold has therefore been mined here since pre-colonial times.

Mining has a tremendous positive impact on the economy of many countries, and Ghana is no exception. The sector has provided enormous employment opportunities and income generation to the indigenes and some foreigners. It is worth noting that commercial scale mining provides employment and skills transfer to more than 2 million workers in Ghana.

Gold mining took many forms starting from the scooping of gold rich river beds for alluvial gold to the current day sophisticated surface and underground mining. Currently, gold mining in Ghana can be categorized into three main types, namely: alluvial mining, mining   of shallow pits or surface mining, and deep shaft mining. Alluvial mining is most widespread, and practised along the banks of the Ankobra, Offin, Pra, Tano and Birim Rivers.

Mining in Ghana can also be classified into, Large scale mining, Small scale mining and Artisanal or Illegal gold mining popularly called Galamsey (an adulteration of the term “gather them and sell”). 

These categories of mining have their individual levels of sophistication, where the large-scale mining usually involves sophisticated technology and labour-intensive underground mining, until recently, when attention in the sector is turning to capital intensive surface mining. 

The small-scale mining sector uses less sophisticated techniques. According to the Minerals and Mining Act 2006 (Act 703) of Ghana, the sector is defined as the mining of gold by any effective and efficient method that does not involve substantial expenditure by an individual or group of persons not exceeding nine in number or by a co-operative society made up of 10 or more people.

The illegal gold mining sector, referred to as GALAMSEY is actually a small-scale gold mining practice. With the sector, the miners work under archaic and difficult working conditions and live in poverty, often receiving less than 9% of the retail price of the stones they extract. 

The sector has evolved from the artisanal stage through the use of rudimentary equipment such as; shovels, pick axes and sluice boards to currently semi-mechanized operations involving the use of equipment such as excavators, bulldozers and washing plants.

The techniques involved in each method have their levels of associated effects which can be considered under: Socio-economic, Environmental and Health impacts, since these effects usually impact on human lives, soils, water and air. Loss of human lives is one critical concern as far as gold mining is concerned.

With soil, the main issues are destruction of farms and farmlands. Forest reserves are also currently under threat, as miners especially illegal miners venture into such areas without any authorization. Cash crop farms especially cocoa farms are being destroyed by these gold seekers.

Rivers and streams in the mining communities are being heavily polluted with mine wastes, depriving the indigenes of safe drinking water. Urban populations are equally threatened as it is becoming increasingly difficult for the Ghana Water Company to adequately treat such polluted water at reasonable cost for consumption.

Air quality is affected in many mining communities where rock grinding and use of explosives are rampant.

Several lives have been lost as a result of miners’ inability to use modern and safe techniques in mining. Pits usually give in leading to the death of several miners.

Though these effects are easily noticeable and given attention by the statutory institutions, heavy metal pollution especially mercury pollution which is one of the main environmental effects of mining, has little or no records of any such attention.

It is a known fact that heavy metals bioaccumulate in body tissues thereby disrupting the functions of vital organs and glands such as the heart, brain, kidneys, bone, liver, etc. They displace the vital nutritional minerals from their original place, thereby, hindering their biological functions.

They may enter the human body through food, water, air or absorption through the skin when they come in contact with humans in agriculture, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, industrial or residential settings.

Mercury, the main extractant used in small scale gold mining is usually abused most. The danger is, the metal speciates through many transformation processes in the environment and these are controlled by various physical, chemical, and biological factors. Depending on the prevailing environmental conditions, inorganic mercury species may be converted to the many times more toxic methylated form, such as methylmercury, a potent neurotoxin that is readily accumulated by aquatic biota.

With these transformations well established for the metal, a common saying goes that, “MERCURY NEVER DIES”. Thus, the metal is rather converted to the more toxic and stable forms in the environment and persists forever.

It is observed that the critical target organ for elemental mercury is the adult and fetal brain, while the critical target organs for methylmercury are the brain and the kidneys. With this background information, mercury is known to cause the following effects in humans: Deterioration of the nervous system, Impairment of hearing, speech, vision and gait. It also causes involuntary muscle movements, chewing and swallowing difficulties, corrodes the skin and mucous membranes.

Ultimately, mercury contamination is known to result in the following conditions in fishes, birds and mammals: Reduced reproductive success, Impairment of growth and development; Liver and kidney damage and neuro-behavioral effects and Death.

This lecture seeks to draw attention to this missing link (Mercury pollution associated with illegal gold mining) by exposing the many ways in which heavy metal exposure affects human lives, and eventually leading to possible death.

The Lecture will draw attention to the fact that most of our mining communities are polluted with heavy metals, especially mercury and this is based upon the extensive field studies done in some of these mining communities.

Recommendations drawing attention to this menace and call to treat the issue with the seriousness it deserves will be made.

PROFILE

BIODATA

Vincent Kodzo Nartey is a Professor of Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry, University of Ghana with special interest in Physical, Analytical and Environmental Chemistry. He hails from Abutia Agove in the Ho West Constituency of the Volta Region, Ghana. His parents were the late Mr. Seth Yao Nartey, who had roots from Kordiabe in the Shia Osudoku Constituency of the Greater Accra Region and Madam Mabel Akua Gakpe of Abutia Teti. Prof. Nartey belongs to the Global Evangelical Church and fellowships with the Adonai Chapel, Madina. He is married to Mrs. Gifty Emefa Sika Nartey and they are blessed with four children (two males and two females). 

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Professor Nartey started his primary school education at the Evangelical Presbyterian Primary School, Abutia Agove and continued to the Local Authority Middle School, Abutia Teti.  He had his Ordinary Level Secondary Education at Awudome Secondary School, Tsito and continued at Mawuli School, Ho for his Sixth form education.  He proceeded to the University of Cape Coast and graduated with BSc (Hons) with major in Chemistry and Minor in Mathematics, as well as a Diploma in Education in 1980.

Professor Nartey later obtained his Masters degree in Industrial Chemistry at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi and proceeded to the Technical University of Graz, Austria, for his Doctorate degree, completing in 1993, and later undertook Post-Doctoral Studies at the same university. He also took an Executive Program in Strategic Management from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in 2009.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Professor Nartey has almost 30 years of university level teaching experience which started in 1993 at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi. He was appointed Lecturer at the Department of Chemistry, University of Ghana, in 1995, got promoted to the rank of Senior Lecturer in 2000, Associate Professor in 2006 and Professor in 2013. 

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AT THE UNIVERSITY

Professor Nartey served as the Head of the Department of Chemistry, University of Ghana for two terms, covering the periods, 2004 to 2006 and 2008 to 2011. 

He served on several boards of the University and was also  an External Assessor for Promotion and External Examiner for Graduate Theses for: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi; University of Cape Coast; University of Education, Winneba; University for Development Studies, Tamale; Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Kwabenya; Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research; Accra Technical University; Kumasi Technical University and Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Kumasi. 

Professor Nartey also served as a Hall Tutor at Legon Hall, taking charge of tutees for several years. He also represented the University on some Technical committees of the Ghana Standards Authority and the Environmental Protection Agency. 

TEACHING AND STUDENTS’ SUPERVISION  

Professor Nartey’s university teaching career spans undergraduate, graduate and doctoral level courses in Physical, Analytical and Environmental Chemistry. Usual courses of interest include: Classical and Statistical Thermodynamics; Electrochemistry; Nuclear and Radio Chemistry; Industrial Chemistry; Mineral Processing; Instrumental Analytical techniques and the Atmospheric Chemistry, just to mention a few.

Until recently, Prof. Nartey was the chairman of the Graduate Committee and Departmental Teaching Assessment Committee (DTAC) of the Department of Chemistry. He has examined over 50 graduate theses (Ph.D. and MPhil) from the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and University of Education, Winneba and several BSc projects. He is also a Moderator for the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training and also works closely with the West African Examinations Council.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Prof. Nartey started his research career as an Electrochemist. This was informed by his work with the Applied Electrochemistry Research Group of the late Emeritus University Professor Karl Kordesch, the Renowned International Professor and Inventor of the Rechargeable Alkaline Manganese Dioxide (RAM) Cell, at the Technical University of Graz, Austria. This association resulted in 5 peer-reviewed journal publications, some of which are regularly cited in renowned battery technology patent documents. 

Prof. Nartey later developed interest in Environmental research due to lack of facilities back home to continue in the field of Electrochemistry. His research interests on the Environment covered the areas: Geochemistry of Freshwater Systems; Determination and Speciation of Mercury at Small Scale Gold Mining communities; Determination and Speciation of Arsenic in Groundwater Samples in Mining communities; Heavy Metals in Soils and Sediments; Water Quality Studies of Wetlands and Pesticide Residue Studies. These research efforts yielded, 51 peer-reviewed journal articles, 25 conference papers and 31 workshop and seminar articles which were delivered both home and abroad.

RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS

Professor Nartey in his university career produced two remarkable research findings through International Research collaborations with colleagues. 

Mercury Pollution and its Devastating Health Effects on Mining Communities, was established through research collaborations with Dr. Jean Claude Bonzongo of the University of Florida, USA with funding from Compton Fellowship and Institute of Health and Conservation, Santa Rosa, California, USA. (2002 – 2005); collaboration with Prof. Nil Basu, and a team of researchers from the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan. Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA with University of Michigan Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute and Center for Global Health Integrated Assessment Grant (U-M GESI & CGH) (2012-2015) Ref: (http://sitemaker.umich.edu/smallscaleminers/).

Occupational Health Hazards Associated with Heavy Metal Poisoning was established among Electronic Gadgets Workers in the Kumasi Metropolis, with collaborations from Prof. Emmanuel Dartey, College of Agriculture, Department of Integrated and Environmental Science, University of Education, Winneba, Mampong-Ashanti campus and JonØ Odland, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Norway; Dag G. Ellingsen and Yngvar Thomassen, National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway. Funding was by Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), Oslo, Norway, July, 2011- Sept 2013.

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES   

Prof Nartey led a team of Ghanaian experts to evaluate the technology of mine waste water treatment facility of P2W (A Mine Waste Water Wreatment Company) in Tel Aviv. Israel: 15th - 19th March, 2016. The same team was led to do same for PROXA and MIWATEK (Waste water treatment companies) in Cape Town, South Africa, .2nd – 8th April, 2016.

He also served as a member of Ghanaian contingents to the United Nations Climate Change conferences: COP (18): Doha, Qatar, 30th - 5th December, 2012; COP (20): Lima, Peru, 1st – 14th December, 2014; COP (21): Paris, France, December 2015 and COP (22): Marrakech, Morocco, November 2016.  He was also, a member of the Ghanaian team at the Conferences of the parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions, Geneva, Switzerland, 28th April to 10th May 2013.

In April, 2011, Professor Nartey delivered a Special Seminar Paper at New York University at the Department of Chemistry,   on Evaluation of Mercury Contamination due to Artisanal Gold Mining in South   Western Ghana.