- mercury at 0.53 mg/kg,
- cadmium at 1.2 mg/kg
By Christabel DANSO ABEAM [email protected]
A 2026 scientific study has found concerning levels of toxic heavy metals in soils at Agbogbloshie in Accra, with mercury measured at 0.53 milligrammes per kilogramme (mg/kg) and cadmium at 1.2 mg/kg, pointing to ongoing environmental risks linked to informal electronic waste processing.
The 2026 peer-reviewed environmental study led by Worlanyo Kwabena Agbosu-University of Education, Winneba, indicates that the contamination is associated with dismantling and burning mobile phones, telecom equipment and other electronic waste materials at the site.
The study reports that soil samples collected from the area not only contained mercury and cadmium but also other heavy metals linked to electronic components, such as lead, arsenic, chromium, nickel, copper, zinc and iron.
It further explained that these substances are released during open burning of insulated wires and circuit boards, as well as manually dismantling devices.
This highlights that the contamination is largely human-driven, with evidence pointing to e-waste handling practices as the primary source rather than natural soil composition.
The 0.53 mg/kg quantity of mercury recorded is above the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) guideline of 0.2 mg/kg, while cadmium levels of 1.2 mg/kg reached thresholds considered hazardous for soil quality.
Environmental assessments of the area also indicate that contamination is not confined to the immediate scrapyard. Heavy metals have been observed spreading beyond active burning and dismantling zones into surrounding residential communities, with the ability to enter nearby water-bodies and agricultural spaces.
Health risks associated with exposure to these contaminants include neurological damage linked to lead and mercury, kidney and liver complications, respiratory illness from toxic dust and fumes and increased long-term cancer risks associated with arsenic and cadmium exposure.
Children and informal workers operating at the site are also considered particularly vulnerable due to direct contact with contaminated soil and materials.
Across multiple studies over the past decade, researchers have consistently identified Agbogbloshie as a hotspot for heavy metal pollution – with contamination levels frequently exceeding international safety guidelines.
Earlier studies by Matt Dodd, an environmental researcher; Lydia Otoo Amponsah, a Ghanaian environmental scientist; Stephen Grundy, a public health researcher; and Godfred Darko, a professor of environmental chemistry at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), found elevated concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, copper and lead in soils at the site.
Another spatial contamination assessment led by Samuel M. Atiemo, a Ghanaian environmental chemist, also detected widespread heavy metal pollution extending beyond burning zones into nearby residential and public areas.
Heavy metals can linger in soil for 1,000 yrs
Toxic heavy metals released into the soil can remain for hundreds to thousands of years, continuously entering water-bodies and crops unless deliberate clean-up efforts are undertaken, according to the Country Director of Pure Earth, Dr. Esmond Wisdom Quansah.
Speaking to Business and Financial Times (B&FT), Dr. Quansah further explained that the persistence of substances such as mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic is driven by their molecular properties, which allow them to remain stable in the environment without breaking down.
“Once these heavy metals are deposited, they do not go away. They remain there until they are cleaned up. Some can remain there for thousands of years,” the expert said – while cautioning that continued exposure is risky.
Pure Earth initially conducted a research study in six regions of the country – Ashanti, Central, Eastern, Savannah, Western and Western North – to assess heavy metal pollution in communities affected by illegal mining activities.
The study found widespread contamination in soil, water, air, crops and fish, with heavy metal levels in many locations exceeding acceptable limits.
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Dr. Quansah explained that while the earlier study focused on mining communities, these findings highlight the dangers of heavy metal pollution in soil.
He further disclosed that Pure Earth plans to undertake another study to determine the extent to which these toxic metals are entering the human body.
According to him, the next phase of the research will focus on biomonitoring and speciation studies – which will involve working with health institutions to collect blood samples from people living in affected communities and analysing them for heavy metal content.
“This will involve collaboration with health institutions to collect blood samples from populations in affected communities and analysing them for heavy metal content,” he said.
He explained that the biomonitoring study will measure the level of exposure among residents, while the speciation study will examine different forms of the metals and how they behave once they enter the body.
He also stressed that without proper clean-up measures and stronger controls on pollution, heavy metals will continue to accumulate in the environment and may eventually find their way into the food chain, posing long-term risks to human health.
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