By Dickson Adom (PhD)
Director, Rights of Nature Ghana Movement (RoNAG)
Children at the Atatem D/A Basic School are unknowingly consuming water laced with toxic chemicals, a new study by the Rights of Nature Ghana Movement (RoNAG) in collaboration with scientists from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has revealed.
The research uncovered dangerously high concentrations of arsenic, chromium, and lead — levels hundreds of times above the World Health Organization (WHO) safety limits. The contamination was traced to illegal mining activities, known locally as galamsey, which have encroached on the school’s land and nearby rivers.
Galamsey’s Proximity Sparks Concern
RoNAG initiated the study after alarming observations made during a Rights of Nature sensitization workshop held in June 2025. The workshop, which included tree-planting and educational activities for teachers and pupils, exposed the shocking reality of illegal mining operations advancing dangerously close to the school compound.
This discovery prompted the research team, led by Dr. Dickson Adom and Dr. David Azanu, with support from Mr. Isaac Ayew Aidoo and Ms. Deborah Ntaidu of KNUST’s Department of Environmental Science, to conduct a detailed water quality analysis. The study received technical and logistical support from Gower Street, UK.
Disturbing Laboratory Findings
Water samples were collected from three main sources — the school borehole, a community borehole, and two nearby rivers. Laboratory analysis revealed heavy metal concentrations that exceeded WHO standards by alarming margins:
- Arsenic (As): 1 mg/L — 100 times higher than the WHO limit of 0.01 mg/L. Arsenic is a potent carcinogen linked to skin, lung, and bladder cancers.
- Chromium (Cr): 30 mg/L — 600 times higher than the WHO guideline of 0.05 mg/L. Hexavalent chromium is associated with cancer, liver damage, and immune system impairment.
- Lead (Pb): 0.11 mg/L — 11 times above the safe limit of 0.01 mg/L. Lead exposure, particularly in children, can cause irreversible brain damage and hinder neurological development.
The study also found elevated levels of cadmium and other toxic contaminants. In addition, basic parameters such as pH, turbidity, and total dissolved solids (TDS) were non-compliant with WHO standards, contradicting the common assumption that borehole water is automatically safe for consumption.
The Hidden Danger Beneath the Ground
The findings dismantle a widespread myth in mining communities that groundwater and borehole water are safer alternatives to polluted surface water. In Atatem, both water sources are heavily compromised.
Rivers located before and after the school, designated AG2R and AGR, also showed extreme contamination, confirming that the pollution is both widespread and systemic.
A Human Health Risk Assessment conducted by RoNAG revealed Hazard Quotients (HQ) far exceeding 1 and Cancer Risks (CR) well above acceptable limits. This indicates a high likelihood of both non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health effects.
Children exposed to these elements face an elevated risk of kidney damage, neurological disorders, cognitive impairment, and lifelong susceptibility to cancer.
“This is not merely an environmental issue,” said Dr. Adom. “It is a profound violation of the rights of both humans and nature to exist, thrive, and regenerate. The rivers of Atatem have been stripped of their right to remain clean, and the health of children is being sacrificed.”
A Call for Immediate and Structural Action
RoNAG is urging the Water Resources Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and relevant security agencies to take immediate action to halt all galamsey operations within and around Atatem.
The movement is also calling for the urgent deployment of advanced water filtration technologies to purify contaminated sources and safeguard public health.
“This situation reflects a systemic failure of regulatory oversight,” Dr. Adom warned. “Allowing toxic water to flow into a public school is an indictment of environmental governance. The healthcare costs of treating cancers and chronic illnesses among exposed children will far outweigh the profits of illegal mining.”
Embracing a Rights of Nature Framework
Beyond emergency response, RoNAG is advocating for long-term structural reform through the legal recognition of nature’s rights within Ghana’s governance framework.
The organization has already submitted a proposal to the Ghana Constitutional Review Committee, calling for the inclusion of the Rights of Nature in the national constitution. This would provide legal protection for rivers, forests, and ecosystems against exploitation and degradation.
(Read RoNAG’s detailed proposal here: Why Constitutional Recognition of Nature’s Rights Is Key to Solving Ghana’s Environmental Crisis)
Dr. Adom emphasized that without recognizing nature’s inherent right to exist, thrive, and regenerate, Ghana’s rivers will continue to suffer under galamsey pollution — with devastating consequences for future generations.
“The health of our rivers,” RoNAG concludes, “is inseparable from the health of our people. To heal one, we must protect the other.”
