The team is introducing a technology that will allow the smelting of gold without the use of mercury which has been found to have serious negative health consequences.

This comes at a time when Ghana has signed the Minamata Convention.

Gold remains one of Ghana’s major export commodities, with its mining largely done on a small-scale level.

The process at the small-scale level involves dissolving the gold ore in mercury then heat-vaporizing the mercury, although this is dangerous. It is carried out untethered in illegal, small-scale mines, run mainly by Chinese enterprises.

Izumi Watanabe, an Environmental toxicology professor at the Tokyo University of Agriculture & Technology did a study on soil samples from small-scale mines in southwestern Ghana and he detected high concentrations of mercury, up to several tens-of-times higher than normal.

Incidences of serious skin disease of unknown cause among mine workers are increasing in mining areas and there is a close relationship between the two.

Professor Watanabe warned that, “there were also high concentrations of mercury found in vegetables and river fish, and if things continue as is, there is the fear of serious health implications.”

The joint research team is building upon a technology originally developed in 1992 by a former senior researcher at the Japanese National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Yukimichi Nakao.

Plans are underway to conduct an experimental trial of the non-mecury smelting method in the mines in Ghana.

The process will now use iodine and its compounds dissolved in organic solvents.

Gold is generally stable and impervious to melting, but it dissolves readily in this solvent. A high yield rate of more than 99% was confirmed in experiments using Japanese gold ore.

Dr. Nakao said: “Iodine is highly stable and easy to handle. Although the costs involved need to be considered, it is a promising alternative to mercury.”

The Minamata Convention, which aims to prevent adverse health effects and environmental pollution from mercury, came into force on August 16, 2017, and its goals include reducing mercury from small-scale gold ore mining. Ghana signed the convention in March, but implementation measures are yet to be developed.

Mr. Tanzawa is calling for cooperation from business: “If non-mercury smelting methods are realized in Ghana, it would become a model for other developing countries. I hope to be able to collect the necessary research funding.”

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Japanese group experiments mercury-free gold mining technology in Ghana appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Minamata Convention, which Ghana ratified on 22nd March 2017, required that the country reduces or possibly eliminate mercury use in artisanal and small scale gold mining, manufacturing processes, in which mercury or mercury compounds are used, as well as mercury added products in the convention’s Annexes A-C by year 2020.

[contextly_sidebar id=”pNvEIMNcMqy8fbFLkuCC818w3g0ujFzW”]However, even before the 2020 deadline, Ghana wants more time after 2020. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the extension of the deadline will help them collect enough data that could help them implement the requirements.

Speaking at a day’s workshop organized by Friends of the Nation NGO on the implementation of the requirements, a principal programs officer at the Mining Department at the EPA, Justine Seyire Dzadzra, explained that “we have had to apply for an extension of the ban for five years for Annexes A and B of the Minamata Convention”.

“This will offer us the opportunity to gather data on all equipment such as the thermometers and other clinical equipment that run with the support of mercury to help us make informed choices. This data gathering is also extended to help obtain facts on which batteries, switches and relays, compact fluorescent lamps, cosmetic products among others in the country with mercury. Now that we do not have these facts, it was going to be practically impossible to roll out a program to meet the requirements of the Minamata Convention”.

“Tracking mercury use is challenging”

Mrs. Dadzra, during her presentation , also recounted the difficulty they face in tracking the use of mercury in the country, particularly in the small scale mining space.

She said mercury use is estimated to stand at 80 percent in the mining industry, but the difficulty to track its unauthorized distribution and use, is challenging partly due to the porous nature of Ghana’s borders, and the unwillingness of the users to disclose their suppliers.

–

By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Ghana seeks extension of deadline on mercury use ban appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The move is in line with the Minamata Convention, which among other things seeks an end to the use of harmful chemicals such as mercury due to its devastating record on the life of people in Minamata in Japan.

FON is currently leading the processes for Ghana to develop a National Action Plan which will focus on strategies for reducing mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining in Ghana.

“This is because, we have come to see the dangers associated with the use of mercury on small scale miners, the environment and people nearby. We have seen the effect on women and children, and the chain with which the release of mercury travels back into our food chain. This is not good for us as a country” Solomon Kusi Ampofo, Natural Resource Governance officer at Friends of the Nation explained at a consultative stakeholder in the Central Region.

As part of the consultative processes, new technologies which have a proven record of zero mercury use, are introduced to small-scale miners.

The Retort and Straight Method are the new user-friendly mercury-free technologies which fit into the solutions proposed by the Minamata Convention.

In all, over 20 artisanal and small-scale miners in the Assin Fosu district of the Minerals Commission “who are doing their work within the regulatory framework of the commission” were schooled on the Minamata Convention on the use of new technologies in place of the harmful long-term effect of mercury.

The consultative stakeholder engagement led by FON is ongoing, and it is expected that a national action plan will be developed and presented for use.

–

By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Small-scale mining: NGO pushes for technology to replace use of mercury appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Citi Trendz, the new weekly show provides viewers with unique insights about the week’s social media trends with expert commentary by the various guests that are featured on the show.

The show offers the technology, media and marketing industry, valuable insights to inform their campaigns and projects. It also ensures listeners are updated on the trending national issues  of the week in a precise and concise manner.

With the prominence of social media in the promotion of art, the first episode delves into how social media was used to promote the just-ended Chalewote Street Art Festival, how musician M.anifest effectively used social media to promote the video for his hit song Someway Bi and how trends begin on social media.

The first episode was announced to the world with a simple tweet:

Tune in to @Citi973 at 8:15PM for #CitiTrendz, Ghana’s first and only Social Media show on radio. Comments are welcome!

— CitiTrendz (@CitiTrendz) September 2, 2014

The show airs on Tuesdays at 8:15pm on 97.3 Citi FM and it’s produced by the Citifmonline team with support from Blogging Ghana and hosted by Mawuli Tsikata.

Mawuli Tsikata is the Online Manager at Citi FM, managing citifmonline.com, the Citi FM portals on Social Media. He has years of experience managing brands on social media and is one of the most respected professionals in the industry.

CitiFM in April, 2014 won the award for the media house with the best Social Media presence at Ghana’s Social Media Awards.

Audio: #CitiTrendz

–

By: Kojo Akoto Boateng/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Citi Trendz, the social media show, premieres on radio appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.