TITLE:
Assessment of Mercury Contamination in the St. Paul River and Tumah Creek in Liberia: Implications of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining on Water Quality and Public Health
AUTHORS:
Adolphus M.G.D. Glekia, Soehoe-Panhyonon Benedict Powoe, Raphael Ngumbu
KEYWORDS:
Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM), Mercury Contamination, Water Quality, Environmental Health, Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (CVAAS)
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Water Resource and Protection,
Vol.18 No.5,
May
25,
2026
ABSTRACT: Despite being a vital source of income for millions of people worldwide, artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) poses significant health and environmental risks due to the unregulated use of mercury in the gold extraction process. This study, therefore, examines two important water bodies in Liberia, the St. Paul River (Montserrado County) and Tumah Creek (Gbarpolu County), to determine the incidence of mercury pollution in areas where ASGM activity is prevalent. To evaluate mercury concentrations and their possible effects on water quality, a total of 15 water samples were taken from these sites. The total mercury content in the samples was measured using Cold Vapor Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (CVAAS). High mercury levels were found in several locations, especially close to active mining sites, according to the results. Due to the lack of filtration technologies, the local community, which depends on these water sources for drinking and household use, is seriously at risk for health problems as a result of this contamination. To reduce the dangers of mercury exposure, the findings highlight the urgent need for stronger regulation of ASGM activities and serve as a foundation for upcoming environmental health assessments and policy development in Liberia.