Environmental journalist Erastus Asare Donkor has reported a troubling increase in birth defects among babies born near mining communities in Ghana.
He revealed on Newsfile that heavy metal contamination from artisanal gold mining is linked to severe developmental abnormalities.
Findings include malformed heads, extra limbs, and absent genitalia in infants, with high levels of cyanide, arsenic, and mercury detected in their placentas.
Donkor attributes these defects to water pollution and toxic vapors from mining activities. He warns that illegal mining exacerbates this issue, leading to harmful environmental exposure.
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