A Professor at the Institute of Environment and Sanitation Studies at the University of Ghana has revealed that the use of mercury for illegal mining has psychological side effects on children in the area.

Professor Chris Gordon said the inhalation of the chemical substance used by the ‘galamseyers’ poses a threat to the brain development of children that will effectively impede their overall academic performance.

This comes after a recent analysis report by the World Bank which states the country loses $6.3 billion annually to environmental degradation in its latest Ghana Country Environmental Analysis.

“They use a substance called mercury to extract the gold from the ore when it is inhaled has an impact on brain cells. The World Bank report made a link between the lowered IQ and the artisanal mining when they found that children growing in these areas are daft".

“The students are growing up stupid by no fault of their own but they have inhaled so much of this methyl mercury from the galamsey going on around them that their brains are not developing,” he told host, Kojo Yankson.

He called on the media to compare examination results of students in mining areas to their peers elsewhere to validate this research.

In his view, this hazard will cause huge economic loss to the country in the long term because these children will grow up without full control of their brain’s capability due to the effects of environmental degradation.

Meanwhile, he added that women will suffer the most as they will become caretakers of people who fall sick due to these activities.

In his submission, he mentioned that although there are good policies against the problem, there is poor enforcement.

When he was sworn into office in 2016, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo promised to fight illegal mining to the extent of putting his job on the line.

However, the problem remains a thorn in the flesh of the country 4 years after later.

Some experts, media stakeholders and politicians have said the fight so far that the battle against the galamsey.

Recently, the Australia High Commissioner pledged to help the country eradicate the menace which he described as 'stealing'.

Gregory Andrews said he will meet with the Minister of land and Natural Resources to foster strategies that will deploy best practices and legitimate mining.