Background: Many years of gold mining in Ghana has generated huge environmental legacy issues, particularly contamination from heavy metals and metalloids. The present study evaluated the contamination from arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) in sediment cores at Bibiani, a historical gold mining town in Ghana. The study took a retrospective look at these contaminations by conducting sediment core analysis of heavy metals in sediments collected from Lake Amponsah in the Bibiani district. Sediment cores were sampled to a depth of 30 cm. Results:The Lake was found to be undergoing sedimentation at an average rate of 1.76 cm/y. There was marginal decline in Hg concentrations over the past two decades (from the 1990s to 2010s), while the other metals showed relatively increasing trends. The Hg policy restricting Hg usage in Ghana since 1989 has contributed to the recent marginal decline of Hg in the sediment. It was found that small-scale miners illicitly applied Hg but used crude retrofits to recover some of the Hg during the gold amalgamation process. This perhaps contributed to the marginal decline being observed in the sediment compartment with depth. Nevertheless, there was concern of potential risk of exposure to gaseous Hg during the amalgamation process. Conclusion:Based on findings of this study, Hg legislation in Ghana should be enforced to the latter as it has shown good sign of reducing environmental contamination from this metal.

The continued rapid growth of distance education programmes in higher education has brought concerns regarding how stakeholers perceive quality in distance education. The study examined the differences between the mean indicator ratings by different stakeholders in a distance learning programme. The study adopted a case study research design to collect data from 320 students, 56 facilitators and 24 administrative staff selected randomly from the Institute of Distance Learning, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana. The data collected through questionnaires were analysed using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) software, version 20. Mean indicator rating analysis revealed that students’ highest perception of quality was on support services and the lowest was academic integrity and institutional prestige. Whilst both facilitators and administrators rated support services as the highest, infrastructure scored the lowest. The results of the study therefore, revealed common benchmarks and quality indicator (support services) that all parties deem important in designing, implementing, and evaluating distance education programmes. Respondents noted the lack of appropriate tools and media; unavailability of reliable technology and technological plan; ineffective communication and co-ordination; and, time constraints as some of the quality challenges for distance education at the Institute. The study recommends monitoring and evaluation of service delivery for distance learning programmes to ensure fitness for purpose, value for money and customer satisfaction.