The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has warned that it may take up to 300 years to restore the quality of soil damaged by illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, October 12, Dr. Albert Kobina Mensa, a research scientist with the CSIR Soil Research Institute, pointed out that the chemicals and heavy metals used in illegal mining—such as mercury and cyanide—have severely contaminated many farmlands in the country.

Dr. Mensa noted that while the degraded lands could be converted for forestry use, full soil restoration presents a greater challenge.

Calculations conducted by the institute, using phytoremediation techniques (the use of plants to extract harmful substances), indicate that natural recovery may take over three centuries.

Read also: Galamsey: Restoring polluted water bodies will take 10 to 15 years – Toxicologist

“As a matter of fact, there is a calculation that some of us have done and we wanted to see how many years it would take for the soil to restore to its natural state and we were trying to use some which the process is called phytoremediation techniques to see how it is going to remediate the chemicals from the soil and the calculation shows more than 300 years,” he revealed.

He stressed that the environmental crisis could worsen without immediate steps to address the damage.

• Read Also: Galamsey Menace: Mercury can remain in water for 1,000 years – Environmentalist cautions

Additionally, Dr. Bright Boafo Boamah, a toxicologist, highlighted that restoring water bodies contaminated by galamsey could take between 10 to 15 years.

However, he stressed that even with prompt intervention, the ecological recovery of rivers and streams remains complex, requiring sustained monitoring and remediation.

Dr. Boamah also warned of serious health risks from toxic exposure to humans and wildlife, urging the government to enforce strict environmental laws and implement sustainable solutions to curb further degradation.