Ghana Gold Rush Pollution

In Ghana, small-scale unlicensed gold mining has caused serious pollution. Heavy metals such as mercury and chemicals such as cyanide are used to extract gold from excavated soil, and toxic wastewater from dozens of unregulated mines flows into the 400-kilometer-long Tano River, which then flows into neighboring Côte d’Ivoire and ultimately into the Atlantic Ocean, causing the water to turn a murky brown. Studies have found that Ghanaian rivers contain unacceptable levels of pollutants, with toxins such as mercury, lead and cyanide linked to a range of health risks, including birth defects, and that the health of local women and children is at serious risk.