Ghanaian water treatment experts in U.S urge Govt to adopt Nano-enabled Bioelectrochemical Water Purification Systems
Two prominent Ghanaian scientists based in the United States are raising alarms about the insufficient and in most cases, outdated water treatment facilities in Ghana especially in mining communities.
Advertisement
In an interview, Alhassan Sikpaam Issaka, a researcher at the University of Florida, and Dr. Charles Amanze from Florida State University highlighted the urgent need to modernise and expand these facilities to contemporary standards.
This call to action follows a disturbing study by Professor Paul Poku Sampane Ossei of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, which found that children consuming crops or water from areas polluted by illegal mining, known as "galamsey," absorb a staggering 90 per cent of toxic heavy metals, compared to 15 per cent in adults.
Dr. Amanze, who is conducting cutting-edge research on removing “difficult-to-treat” contaminants like 1,4-dioxane from water sources at Florida State University, emphasized the need for the Ghanaian government to adopt bioelectrochemical systems (BES). These systems, he pointed out, “use microorganisms to convert chemical energy in substrates into electrical energy, while simultaneously using heavy metals and other toxins as electron acceptors in the cathode chamber, thus detoxifying and cleaning the water. This dual functionality makes BES a highly promising technology for sustainable energy production and environmental cleanup, especially for developing countries”.
Addressing the specific needs of communities affected by illegal mining, Dr. Amanze pointed out that Ghana's existing water treatment methods, such as stabilization ponds and sand filters, are relics of the colonial era and incapable of handling heavy metal contamination. He urged the government to deploy solar-powered BES in these communities, noting that solar energy could reduce the operational costs of BES by about 50 per cent, making it a viable solution for many African countries. This approach could significantly enhance water safety, particularly for vulnerable groups like children and pregnant women in mining communities.
Mr. Alhassan Sikpaam Issaka, who is an esteemed environmental and materials scientist, with an extensive portfolio of research that spans from engineering novel nanomaterials for wastewater treatment to advancing energy technologies in nuclear science, noted that the persistent use of mercury in artisanal small-scale mining and its detrimental impact on brain and cognitive functions with several reported cases of death of pregnant women and their babies have been reported in regions such as in some regions like the Western, Eastern, Ashanti, Western North, Central, and Ahafo Regions.
Issaka has dedicated his career to engineering cost-effective nanomaterials that treat highly polluted wastewater, significantly improving the safety and feasibility of wastewater reuse—a critical component of urban water sustainability. His research employs surface chemistry analysis, advanced analytical tools, and water chemistry techniques to design, characterize, and apply novel materials to address water security challenges, resulting in numerous publications and patents.
According to Dr. Amanze, their BES system can be employed in many mining communities in Ghana especially where mercury pollution is high with Mr Issaka, advocating for the construction of medium-sized BES in local mining communities. These systems would integrate nanomaterials in the anodic chamber to enhance water treatment capacity.
Other Trending Stories
“While conventional BES technology is promising, it needs to be supplemented with engineered nanomaterials to triple performance capacity and reduce overall production costs”, said Mr. Issaka.
This approach, he argues, is essential for the effective and sustainable remediation of mercury and other heavy metal pollutants.
In a recent collaborative study led by Dr. Amanze, published in the Water Research Journal, titled “Heterotrophic anodic denitrification coupled with cathodic metals recovery from on-site smelting wastewater with a bioelectrochemical system inoculated with mixed Castellaniella species,” Dr. Amanze and Mr. Issaka successfully designed a BES system that removed over 99 per cent of multiple highly toxic heavy metals, including copper, mercury, lead, and zinc. Their study underscored the potential of BES technology for addressing mercury pollution in Ghana’s mining communities.
Mr. Issaka emphasized that incorporating specially engineered nanomaterials in the anodic chamber can significantly enhance the effectiveness of BES. Meanwhile, a previous study led by Mr. Issaka on the development of a bauxite nanocomposite material from inexpensive bauxite waste demonstrates the feasibility of creating cost-effective nanomaterial.
The study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, titled “Fluoride remediation from on-site wastewater using optimized bauxite nanocomposite (Bx-Ce-La@500): Synthesis maximization, and mechanism of F─ removal” illustrates the potential of nanocomposites in remediating wastewater and drinking water to safe limits with nearly 100% pollutant removal efficiency.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Mr. Issaka noted that this innovation comes at a time when Ghana is the eleventh producer of Bauxite globally which means that the raw material used for the production of the bauxite nanocomposite is readily available in commercial quantities.
“Using this as the “fuel” for the BES will ensure that a significant portion of the production cost is reduced since bauxite is produced in mass quantities in Ghana”, Mr. Issaka explains.
For him, these advancements could enable the deployment of larger-scale BES plants in rural areas where clean drinking water is heavily affected by illegal mining operations, providing a sustainable solution to heavy metal contamination.
Mr. Issaka and Dr. Amanze urged the government to engage more qualified water experts in the design, deployment, and utilisation of sustainable water treatment systems, rather than allowing unqualified individuals with political affiliations to lead such projects.