Minamata disaster is a typical pollution-related problem caused by the environmental exposure of mercury from a point source chemical plant to a final destination in the 1950s in Japan. It was unprecedented in human history in terms of health damage it caused and the extent of spread and severity in degrading the natural environment, leaving behind adverse effects across the local communities where the incident occurred. From international perspectives, mercury is still being used and discharged from various sources, raising concerns for environmental pollution and health damage. In Ghana mercury is constantly been used in mining related activities especially in the small-scale legal and illegal mining activities. The study, through review of literature and collective sampled views from students of the University for Development Studies, seeks to understand the importance of the eco-toxicology of mercury, examine the extent of damage that mercury compounds can cause using the experience of the Minamata disaster and environmental policy lessons in Ghana.

Keywords: Eco-toxicology, Minamata disease, Methy-mercury, mercury contaminant, small-scale mining, policy lessons