Microplastics found in fish • Researcher calls for action to curb pollution

Dr Pennante Naa Ayikialey Bruce-Vanderpuije, a Senior Research Scientist at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Water Research Institute (CSIR-WRI), has called for stronger measures to prevent plastic waste from entering water bodies.

She said reducing plastic pollution at its source was critical to limiting the movement of microplastics into the food chain and protecting aquatic foods consumed by Ghanaians.

Dr Bruce-Vanderpuije noted that while international research had raised concerns about possible links between microplastic exposure and inflammation, oxidative stress, immune disruption and organ damage, Ghana needed stronger local evidence to establish a clear link between exposure levels and actual health outcomes.

She made the call in Accra during a presentation on “Plastic on the Menu: Microplastics in Aquatic Foods and Beach Coastal Waste in Ghana.”

The presentation formed part of a three-day CSIR-WRI mid-year review programme, which brought together researchers and stakeholders to discuss issues affecting water, the environment, food and public health.

According to Dr Bruce-Vanderpuije, findings from research conducted on fish from the Lower Volta Basin and coastal communities along the Gulf of Guinea detected significant levels of microplastics in the guts and gills of both cage-farmed and wild fish.

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles measuring up to five millimetres, which enter water bodies, sediment and aquatic organisms as larger plastic materials break down.

Dr Bruce-Vanderpuije highlighted that the study began around 2021/2022 and focused on the Lower Volta Basin because of growing cage-farming activities and limited data on microplastic contamination in the basin.

Researchers sampled 330 fish across 12 species from Asikuma, Kpong and Sogakope during both wet and dry seasons, focusing on the guts and gills, which are consumed in some parts of Ghana.

“We know that plastics are in the environment, and they are transferred into our food, our water and our sediment. We examined cage-farmed tilapia and wild fish species from the basin to determine the presence and levels of microplastics,” she indicated.

The research, published in the peer-reviewed journals Chemosphere and Environmental Pollution, found the highest average microplastic load in fish from Asikuma, upstream, at about 365 particles per fish, compared with 209 at Kpong and 71 at Sogakope.

Dr Bruce-Vanderpuije attributed the higher contamination in cage-farmed tilapia mainly to microplastic-contaminated fishmeal and plastic nets used in cage aquaculture.

Chemical analysis also identified paint and PVC particles linked to boats and cage infrastructure, suggesting that aquaculture activities could be contributing to the contamination.

Based on Ghana’s estimated average fish consumption of 28 kilogrammes per person annually, she emphasised that a person consuming the gills and guts of cage-farmed tilapia could ingest about 2,561 microplastic particles each year.

“When we consume the gut and gills of fish, we tend to consume these microplastics,” she mentioned.

She added that exposure from all the wild fish species examined could reach about 4,785 particles per person annually.

Dr Bruce-Vanderpuije, however, stressed that the study established exposure and not a confirmed health risk.

BY BENEDICTA GYIMAAH FOLLEY

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KOKMA supports 29 persons with disabilities

BY RASHEEDA AFOAKWAH AND JESSIE PRINCESS DUAH

The Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly (KOKMA) has supported 29 persons with disabilities with items and financial assistance to promote education, health and livelihoods and help them become self-reliant.

The support, provided under the Disability Fund, forms part of the government’s commitment to inclusive development and improving the livelihoods of persons with disabilities in line with the Persons with Disabilities Act, 2006 (Act 715).

The beneficiaries received business capital, financial assistance, educational and livelihood support, as well as equipment to improve their living conditions at a ceremony held yesterday at Kwame Nkrumah Circle-Dubai.

Speaking at the ceremony in Accra yesterday, the Chairman of the Disability Fund Management Committee, Mr Joshua Addy, said the fund was intended to support persons with disabilities in education, health and livelihood development.

He said the 29 beneficiaries were being supported to become self-reliant and live with dignity, stressing that the intervention should not be regarded as charity but as an empowerment initiative.

Mr Addy explained that the allocation to the Disability Fund under the District Assemblies Common Fund had been increased from three per cent to five per cent, providing additional resources to support persons with disabilities.

The Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Alfred Allotey Ato-Gaisie, described the initiative as an economic empowerment intervention aimed at providing persons with disabilities with sustainable livelihood opportunities, economic independence, dignity and meaningful participation in society.

He noted that the support was a statutory entitlement and demonstrated the collective responsibility to provide persons with disabilities with equitable opportunities to participate in the social and economic development of the country.

Mr Allotey Ato-Gaisie further stated the increase in the allocation from three per cent to five per cent demonstrated the government’s commitment to disability-inclusive development by providing additional resources and broadening economic and social opportunities.

He also mentioned the introduction of free tertiary education for persons with disabilities as another intervention aimed at removing financial barriers to higher education and providing qualified persons with disabilities with greater opportunities.

Mr Allotey Ato-Gaisie urged the beneficiaries to use the items and resources for the purposes for which they were approved and not keep them at home as decorations or divert them to other uses.

He encouraged them to engage in meaningful work, grow their businesses, support their families and contribute to national development, saying the assistance should translate into productive work and improved livelihoods.

The assembly said its Social Welfare and Community Development Department and the Disability Fund Management Committee would continue to monitor the use of the support by the beneficiaries.

The beneficiaries are expected to cooperate with assembly officers and provide the necessary information during monitoring and follow-up exercises to ensure that the resources are used for their intended purposes.

Moreover, Mr Allotey Ato-Gaisie also appealed to parents, spouses, caregivers and family members of the beneficiaries to encourage and support them in safeguarding and effectively utilising the resources provided.

He urged the public to reject discrimination, stigmatisation and negative attitudes towards persons with disabilities, while recognising and protecting their rights, dignity and opportunities to contribute meaningfully to national development.

END

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