An associate professor at the Department of Physics of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Professor Bright Kwakye-Awuah is raising scientific and cost concerns over the Environmental Protection Authority’s (EPA) technology to clean water bodies polluted by illegal mining activities.The EPA on February 24, 2026, commenced a pilot application of the Copper-based nano liquid technology on the Birim River in the Eastern region.After days of the clean-up trial, the EPA released images of what appears to be a visibly clear state of the diverted and stagnant pool of the Birim River.But a section of the public and local scientists critiqued the technology, with some doubting the feasibility of the trial in fighting the illegal mining menace.Professor Bright Kwakye-Awuah, in the underlisted concerns, analyses the scientific and economic underpinnings of the technology while proffering viable solutions to restoring the polluted water bodies.In his submission, Prof. Kwakye-Awuah explained that the scientific validity of the technology for polluted rivers, highlighting that the technology exhibits established antimicrobial and catalytic characteristics when applied under controlled parameters to facilitate flocculation – aggregation of dispersed particles to form larger clusters – or induce oxidative destabilisation of suspended particles.However, he believes rivers polluted by galamsey are multifaceted, involving extreme turbidity from clay and silt, a spectrum of dissolved and particulate heavy metals (including mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium, and manganese), potential cyanide residues, high suspended solids, and disrupted hydrodynamics.With copper itself being a heavy metal, and introducing copper nanoparticles into an open river system, he says, raises significant concerns regarding secondary contamination, bioaccumulation in aquatic life, sediment enrichment with copper, and long-term ecological risks.“While rapid water clarification may be observed, visual improvements do not equate to compliance with regulatory standards for dissolved heavy metals. The dynamic nature of river systems means nanoparticles may disperse downstream, accumulate in sediments, or become resuspended during flooding events,” he added.Pro. Kwakye-Awuah elaborated that any of such intervention would require robust validation, including ICP-MS analysis of residual metals, total copper quantification, sediment and ecotoxicity studies, before they can be deemed scientifically sound.“Without comprehensive chemical and ecological assessments, the approach may yield superficial results rather than true environmental remediation,” he noted.With the EPA estimating that $200,000 is needed per kilometre of the river for cleaning, Prof. Kwakye-Awuah suggests the real means to stop the pollution is to fight off the illegal miners.“This assumes homogenous contamination, uniform effectiveness, and a one-off treatment capable of resolving pollution permanently. However, if illegal mining persists upstream, continuous or repeated applications would be necessary, causing total costs to escalate well beyond initial projections.He continued that: “A thorough economic evaluation should consider treatment durability, reapplication frequency, long-term environmental liabilities, ongoing monitoring, and sediment management. Addressing symptoms in the river, rather than eliminating pollution at its source, risks creating a cycle of recurring public expenditure without sustainable outcomes. Cost justification must therefore be grounded in long-term effectiveness and risk of recurrence, not solely on immediate visual results”.He recommended some possible technology-based solutions to clean the river, other than the experimental copper-based nano liquid technology.“Treating river segments with chemical nano-dosing primarily addresses downstream symptoms, whereas source-based interventions target pollution at entry points prior to dispersion,” he noted.Prof Kwakye-Awuah asserts that treatment technologies must aim at physically removing suspended solids and adsorption of dissolved heavy metals without introducing additional toxicants.“Modular deployment at pollution nodes, coupled with water recycling for operational reuse, creates a closed-loop system that minimises river discharge,” he added.He continued that: “When enforced alongside the cessation of in-stream mining and a polluter-pays model (requiring miners to fund water treatment) the economic burden shifts from the public to those responsible for contamination”.By focusing on discharge points rather than the entire river, he says, the treated volumes decrease, capital and operational costs are more manageable, and long-term sustainability is enhanced.“Over time, source containment with engineered adsorption and flotation proves more structurally and economically viable than ongoing, river-wide chemical dosing, particularly when ongoing contamination is anticipated,” he noted.In conclusion, Prof Kwakye-Awuah believes restoring the degraded water bodies or any other natural resource must not introduce harmful measures.“Environmental restoration must not introduce new environmental hazards. Rivers are dynamic, living ecosystems whose water chemistry and/or biochemistry are different from non-laboratory systems. The deployment of copper nanoparticles in natural water bodies, absent comprehensive ecotoxicological validation, poses potential long-term risks,” he noted.He continued that: “Effective remediation begins at the source of contamination. By intercepting pollution from illegal mining, treating it with advanced adsorption and flotation systems, and responsibly reusing treated water, we can safeguard our rivers without imposing further chemical burdens. Ghana must prioritise science-based, economically sound, and ecologically responsible solutions to ensure the preservation of our rivers for future generations.”.