Accra, July 24, GNA - Research conducted by a group of scientists from Ghana and France has confirmed high levels of mercury in the blood, urine and hair of some miners in the Western Region.

These levels, if not treated early, could lead to kidney, skin and respiratory problems in the people living around areas where small-scale gold mining commonly called "galamsy" takes place.

The research conducted at Japa, a village near Wassa Akropong in the Wassa Amenfi District, revealed that both human and environmental samples contained large volumes of mercury above the acceptable standards of World Health Organization (WHO).

The United Nations Development Organization (UNIDO), which sponsored the research with funds from the French government, undertook the work based on an earlier research conducted at Dumasi, also in the Western Region, which revealed similar results as Japa.

Releasing the Japa results in Accra on Thursday, the five Scientists led by the Dr. Christian Beinhoff, Chief Technical Advisor of the (UNIDO) Global Mercury Project, unanimously agreed that women who undertook small-scale mining were more at risk.

"Small-scale women miners are more intoxicated with mercury as compared to their male counterparts," the study revealed.

The scientists said cocoyam and fish turned out to be two food samples that contained high volumes of mercury, "although some of the rivers did not contain such high volumes of the mercury".

Sediments both up stream and down stream of rivers however, revealed very high volumes of mercury, the scientists stated.

Mr Ransford Sekyi of the Environmental Protection Agency, was also a member of the scientific team, said the research revealed that the area was highly polluted.

The course of the river was disrupted and aquatic life destroyed, affecting the agricultural fields.

He said if urgent attention was not given the area, there might not be a river for the people of Japa in the near future since all the rivers have been polluted.

Mr Sekyi urged the government to explore avenues that would ensure the reduction of mercury into the immediate environs although at the moment it acted as the main support for the livelihood of the people. He added that fish farming should be introduced to supplement the dietary requirement of the people. Dr William Bannerman, a member of the team said the lives of over 100,000 artisanal and small-scale miners depended on the use of mercury for gold extraction in Ghana. He said the miners used mercury because it was quick, effective, simple and cheap to use in the extraction of small levels of gold," yet we do not have to wait for the mercury to destroy them before we act". Mr Bannerman said there was evidence of anthropogenic pollution of mercury in the Ankobra River, which flowed into the sea. "This could lead to pollution of sea fish, since the residual effects of mercury in water bodies were normally found in fishes." He also called for the education of small-scale miners to make them aware of the toxicity of mercury usage.