Traders at the Agbogbloshie Market in Accra have rejected findings from a recent study by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and UK-based NGO, Africa Pure Earth, which linked food crops to mercury and heavy metal contamination in mining areas.
The report revealed that staple items such as taro leaves (kontomire), tomatoes, coconuts, and other vegetables from six mining-affected regions—Western, Eastern, Ashanti, Central, and Savannah—were at risk of contamination from illegal mining activities, known locally as galamsey.
While the study has sparked widespread concern over food safety, traders insist the claims are unfounded and harmful to their livelihoods.
“If kontomire is contaminated by galamsey, what about cassava? The report is a complete falsehood and it’s affecting our businesses badly,” lamented trader Mavis Merley.
Vendors of leafy vegetables such as cabbage and lettuce also dismissed the findings, arguing that their cultivation practices make contamination impossible.
“There’s no way cabbage or other vegetables could absorb polluted water. If that were the case, they wouldn’t survive at all,” said greengrocer Rebecca Kufour.
Some customers echoed the traders’ views, saying the produce looked fresh and safe. A Shopper, Linda noted that washing vegetables properly before cooking was enough to make them safe for consumption.
Health experts, however, caution that the risks are real and often invisible. Medical practitioner Dr. Omaima Arab warned that crops exposed to mercury and other heavy metals may appear fresh but still pose serious dangers, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurological damage. She stressed that once such harm occurs, it is irreversible.
With galamsey now threatening not only water bodies and forests but also the nation’s food supply, experts say Ghana faces a growing public health and food security crisis.
