Clean Air Report Ghana
In a world where the very air we breathe is threatened, we embark on a journey to uncover the hidden truths about air pollution. Welcome to Clean Air Report Ghana, a program where we discuss Ghana’s growing air quality crisis and how it affects every aspect of our lives and our planet.
The program is a collaboration between Joy News, New Narratives and leading Ghanaian newsmedia. The host is Michael Asharley.
Clean Air Report Ghana
Mercury as a Dangerous Air Pollutant: The Hidden Cost of Gold Extraction in Ghana
In Ghana’s gold towns, the danger isn’t always underground — it’s in the air.
Michael Asharley investigates a new report by the FCDO, Pure Earth, and the EPA, revealing alarming levels of mercury in the air across artisanal and small-scale mining communities. When mercury is burned to extract gold, it releases invisible, toxic vapour that threatens not just miners, but entire families and nearby towns.
Michael speaks with Rev. Dr. Esmond Wisdom Quansah of Pure Earth, Dr. Dezel Tay of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, and Dr. John Arko-Mensah of the University of Ghana School of Public Health about how mercury exposure harms the brain, kidneys, and lungs — and what must change to protect both livelihoods and lives.
From Prestea to Konongo, this episode exposes the hidden health cost of Ghana’s gold rush — and why cleaner, mercury-free methods are the only way forward.
Clean Air Report Ghana is a collaboration between New Narratives and leading Ghanaian newsrooms. Funding is provided by the Clean Air Fund which had no say in the reporting.
