Predicted and ongoing effects of galamsey on the health of Ghanaians and possible effects in the unborn generation – Part 1
A crime of genocidal proportions, for which the galamsey kingpins are allowed to operate, with impunity, without arrest and prosecution!
If one knew how galamsey continues to impact on the citizenry healthwise, one would put all parochial interests aside and join the progressive movements in the fight against galamsey
The authorities seem helpless in eliminating the menace of galamsey, although it has all the security apparatus, at its bidding and disposal.
Pregnant with medical terminology, I was a bit reluctant in discussing the effects of Chronic Organic Mercury Poisoning of the citizenry, due to galamsey activities, as this may be beyond the scope of this platform; however, one would have to, considering the genocidal implications of the problem.
There is the need to increase pressure on the political leaders, through mass public outcry, for the former to institute measures to bring a lasting end to this insanity of criminal genocide against current and future generations of Ghanaians.
Chronic Organic Mercury Poisoning (Minomata Disease aka Hydrargyra aka Mercurialism)
Minamata disease” (humans) –High-level exposure to methylmercury is known as Minamata disease. First reported chronic organic mercurialism of cats, birds, and humans in the Minamata Bay area of Japan; associated with fish/shellfish containing organomercurials ( methylmercury) from industrial waste effluent
Risk factors – consumption of fish, which may contain mercury from galamsey activities.
IN HUMANS:
1. Congenital Form
2. Neurological Form
3. Skin Form (Pink Disease aka Acrodynia in children): skin becomes pink and peels.
Congenital form:
A congenital form of the disease can also affect fetuses in the womb and may cause cerebral palsy. Heavy or prolonged exposure can do irreversible damage, in particular in fetuses, infants, and young children.
Neurological form:
is a neurological disease caused by severe mercury poisoning. Signs and symptoms include ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, general muscle weakness, loss of peripheral vision, and damage to hearing and speech. In extreme cases, insanity, paralysis, coma, and death follow within weeks of the onset of symptoms.
Skin Form (Pink Disease aka Acrodynia in children): skin becomes pink and peels.
· Mercury levels can affect DNA methylation status, and is implicated in schistosomus reflexus syndrome in Olive Ridley sea turtles (Martin-Del-Campo, Vet Pathol. 2019)
INORGANIC MERCURY (Mercuric chloride) causes cancer as it has caused increases in several types of tumors in rats and mice, while methyl mercury has caused kidney tumors in male rats. The EPA has classified mercuric chloride and methyl mercury as human cancer causing agents (ATSDR, EPA)
Lesions in other organs
· Kidneys : Acute Kidney Failure
· * Heart: Degeneration of cardiac Purkinje cells ( leading to Cardiac Arrest).
INORGANIC Hg SALTS (e.g., HgCl2):
· Highly soluble and toxic to cells of the gastrointestinal tract and kidney if ingested
· Acute toxicity following ingestion – severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea; mercury chloride has a coagulative effect(destruction/death) of the lining of the intestines.
· After initial episode, death can occur several days later, a result of nephrosis (Acute kidney failure) with uremia
TYPICAL FINDINGS IN HUMANS AND ANIMALS.
Brain (Cerebrum Cerebellum) lesions:
· Acute neuronal degeneration (Due to ischemia) – Most profound in the middle laminae of the cerebral cortex ( of visual cortex)
· Moderate gliosis – both microgliosis and astrocytic
· *Fibrinoid necrosis of the media of the leptomeningeal arteries– more prominent in swine than in cattle
– *Necrosis of granule cells in cerebellum
Horses: Total body Alopecia(Total Loss of hair)
Dr. Alfred Awere
E-mail: alawere@yahoo.com
May 6, 2023
Culled and compiled mainly from a combination of professional knowledge and literature from the American Forces Institute of Pathology.
Predicted and On-going Effects of Galamsey on the health of Ghanaians (the citizenry) and the future generation of Ghanaians: (Part 2).
Mercury (Hg) and cyanide used in galamsey operations can poison the people through drinking water, fish and land food (CROPS) ingestion and THROUGH THE SKIN. Mercury accumulates more in fish of galamsey -poisoned waterbodies.
Ingested Hg can stay in the human tissues for 54 years ( ingested Hg has a half-life of 27.4 years in the human brain).
CHILDREN exposed to mercury are at risk of developing growth and developmental problems.
Both inorganic and organic forms can cause neurological problems. However, methyl mercury, which passes more easily into the brain is generally considered the more toxic species, particularly among children, who can experience IQ losses , delayed speech, and other neurodevelopmental deficits from exposure. Early life exposure can damage the whole brain (Sarpong, D. 2017)
Exposures later in life produce more localised damage to the brain (visual cortex, motor strip and Cerebellum)
In adults, t hese exposures can lead to: visuospacial (vision) problems, even blindness; effects on memory and mood; paralysis, incoordination, coma and death.
Generally, exposure to mercury can cause neurological damage ( memory loss, psychotic reactions), K IDNEY PROBLEMS, miscarriages, respiratory failure and even death (Sarpong, D 2017).
The inorganic form of mercury (mercury chloride and Elemental mercury) when ingested can cause coagulative necrosis (death) of the lining of the STOMACH AND INTESTINES and lead to profuse diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pains and death.
Cyanide poisoning from galamsey activities disables the cell’s mitochondria cytochrome a3 oxidase leading to deficit of ATP and energy . In the red blood cells, this leads primarily to blockage of transport of oxygen in the blood and its exchange to cells, resulting in respiratory failure (breathing arrest) and death.
Therefore, one can imagine the result of combined the effects of mercury and cyanide poisoning on the health of the citizenry through galamsey activities.
Author email address: Dr. Alfred Awere alawere@yahoo. com.
