Distribution of anthropogenic mercury in French Guyana river sediments downstream from gold mining sites

2003 ◽  
Vol 107 ◽  
pp. 1263-1266 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Spadini ◽  
L. Charlet
Keyword(s):  
Gold Mining ◽  
River Sediments ◽  
Mining Sites ◽  
French Guyana

scholarly journals Assessment of the Challenges in Policy Implementation in the Small Scale Gold Mining Sector in Ghana – A Case Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Arroja Eshun ◽  
E. Okyere
Keyword(s):  
Policy Implementation ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Mining District ◽  
Test Case ◽  
Mining Sector ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
Mining Sites ◽  
Adequate Knowledge ◽  
Acquisition Processes

In recent times, stakeholders in the mining sector have expressed concerns about the environmental degradation and the social impacts of uncontrolled Small Scale Mining (SSM) activities in Ghana despite the existence of legislative instruments that define the procedures required for the acquisition of licences and operations of SSM activities in the country. This paper assesses the challenges in policy implementation in the small scale gold mining sector of Ghana by reviewing policies on regularisation and environmental management. It further identifies challenges faced by small scale mining operators in adhering to laid down policies for the smooth operation of the sector and furthermore assesses the views of some principal stakeholders on the benefits and challenges of small scale mining using the Dunkwa mining district as a test case. The methods employed include: field visits to some  small scale mining sites within the Dunkwa mining district; interviews and questionnaire administration; and statistical and content analysis of data. The study reveals the following factors, among others, to have contributed largely to the difficulty in regularisation, environmental and social challenges that have plagued the SSM sector: low level of education of majority of miners; bureaucracies and centralisation of licence acquisition processes; lack of sources of finance for SSM projects; lack of geological information on mineable areas; and lack of adequate knowledge of the laws and regulations on mining and environment. In addressing the challenges the following recommendations are made: decentralisation of the regularisation processes to simplify licence acquisition; adequate geological investigations should be undertaken on SSM blocked-out areas to reduce the try and error mining approach adopted by miners; and continuous education and training of miners on good mining and environmental practices. Keywords: Small Scale Mining, Mineral Policies, Environmental Impact, Regularisation, Challenges

scholarly journals Heavy Metals in the Soils of Placer Small-Scale Gold Mining Sites in Myanmar

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (27) ◽  
pp. 200911
Author(s):  
Aung Zaw Tun ◽  
Pokkate Wongsasuluk ◽  
Wattasit Siriwong
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Mining Activities ◽  
Mining Operations ◽  
Metal Concentrations ◽  
Mining Sites ◽  
Heavy Metal Concentrations

Background. Artisanal and small-scale mining activities are widely practiced globally. Concentrations of heavy metals associated with gold, such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) can increase in the environment as a result of mining activities, leading to environmental pollution and pose toxicity risks to humans and animals. Objectives. The aim of the present study was to investigate soil concentrations of toxic heavy metals in placer small-scale gold mining operations in Myanmar. Methods. Soil samples were collected from three placer small-scale gold mining sites: Site A located in the Hmawbon public protected forest, Site B and Site C, situated in the Nant-Kyin reserved forest around Nar Nant Htun village. At each site, soil samples were collected from four gold mining stages (ore processing, sluicing, panning, and amalgamation). Atomic absorption spectroscopy was utilized to examine the concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, and Hg. Results. The highest heavy metal concentrations were generally found in the amalgamation stages across all the gold mining sites. Across the three mining sites, the maximum heavy metal concentrations in the amalgamation stage were 22.170 mg.kg−1 for As, 3.070 mg.kg−1 for Cd, 77.440 mg.kg−1 for Hg, and 210.000 mg.kg−1 for Pb. Conclusions. The present study examined the concentrations of As, Cd, Hg and Pb in the soil of several small-scale gold mining sites in Banmauk Township, Myanmar. The results demonstrated the presence of high concentrations of heavy metals in the soil of the gold mining sites. Miners in this area work without proper personal protective equipment, and frequent exposure to heavy metals in the soil may cause adverse health effects. The present study provides baseline data for future risk assessment studies of heavy metal contamination in gold mines. Competing Interests. The authors declare no competing financial interests

scholarly journals Local Governance and Labor Organizations on Artisanal Gold Mining Sites in Burkina Faso

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lala Ouedraogo ◽  
Patrick Mundler
Keyword(s):  
Burkina Faso ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Physical World ◽  
Mining Sites ◽  
Labor Organizations ◽  
Development Framework ◽  
Artisanal Gold Mining ◽  
Artisanal Miners

This paper based on the institutional analysis and development framework (IAD) is to discuss the local governance and labor organizations on artisanal gold mining camps in Burkina Faso; a West African country that in recent years has been increasingly exploiting its gold reserves. Field data were collected from three sites in the villages of Diosso, Siguinoguin and Zincko in accordance with the purposive sampling. One major finding gleaned from the on-site research is that forms of governance vary along a continuum from flexible (enforced by a joint powers: artisanal miners’ union, customary authorities and landowners) to rigid (enforced by landowner). Another finding is that the type of relationship between indigenous communities and miners depend on the importance of the authocthony of the artisanal miners. Indeed, they are harmonious in Zincko, where miners originate from the village, whereas they are tense in Siguinoguin, which is populated by migrants. Eventually, this paper relies on the French school of proximity to enrich the definitions given to the attributes of the physical world and the attributes of the community highlighted by Ostrom’s theory as geographical proximity fails to detail forms of relational proximity that clearly structure the way governance is organized on the mining camps.

PRELIMINARY STUDY OF RIVER WATER IN GOLD MINING AREAS OF CAMBODIA

2004 ◽  
Vol 14 (03n04) ◽  
pp. 109-114
Author(s):  
SATOSHI MURAO ◽  
FUMITAKA NISHIYAMA ◽  
SOTHAM SIENG
Keyword(s):  
Gold Mining ◽  
Mineral Resources ◽  
Computer Code ◽  
External Beam ◽  
Social Concern ◽  
Mining Site ◽  
Mining Sites ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
The University

In Cambodia, artisanal mining has recently come to a social concern because of the possibility to cause environmental degradation and human health problems. The General Department of Mineral Resources of Cambodia is collecting environmental specimens in mining sites to watch the situation. This time, four water samples from Sampov Loon and one from Memong mining site were sent from the Department to Hiroshima University, Japan, and the samples were analyzed by means of PIXE at the University. A volume of 10 μl from each sample was separated and dropped onto 4 μm polypropylene backing foil. The measurement was carried out by using 2.5 MV single-ended Van de Graaff accelerator. A Si(Li) detector (active area, 80mm2; sensitive depth, 5mm; Be -window's thickness, 25 μm; resolution, 167 eV fwhm at 5.9 keV) was used for both of in vacuo PIXE and non-vacuum external beam PIXE measurement. A computer code PIXS was used for the quantification. The result indicates that there are at least two kinds of water in Sampov Loon and one of them possibly represents polluted condition.

scholarly journals Changes in the Transmission Dynamic of Chikungunya Virus in Southeastern Senegal

Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdourahmane Sow ◽  
Birgit Nikolay ◽  
Oumar Faye ◽  
Simon Cauchemez ◽  
Jorge Cano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Chikungunya Virus ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index ◽  
Transmission Dynamic ◽  
Sylvatic Cycle ◽  
Mining Sites ◽  
Semivariogram Analysis

In Senegal, chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is maintained in a sylvatic cycle and causes sporadic cases or small outbreaks in rural areas. However, little is known about the influence of the environment on its transmission. To address the question, 120 villages were randomly selected in the Kedougou region of southeastern Senegal. In each selected village, 10 persons by randomly selected household were sampled and tested for specific anti-CHIKV IgG antibodies by ELISA. We investigated the association of CHIKV seroprevalence with environmental variables using logistic regression analysis and the spatial correlation of village seroprevalence based on semivariogram analysis. Fifty-four percent (51%–57%) of individuals sampled during the survey tested positive for CHIKV-specific IgG. CHIKV seroprevalence was significantly higher in populations living close to forested areas (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.90 (1.42–2.57)), and was negatively associated with population density (OR = 0.76 (0.69–0.84)). In contrast, in gold mining sites where population density was >400 people per km2, seroprevalence peaked significantly among adults (46% (27%–67%)) compared to all other individuals (20% (12%–31%)). However, traditional gold mining activities significantly modify the transmission dynamic of CHIKV, leading to a potential increase of the risk of human exposition in the region.

scholarly journals Risk assessment of heavy metal contamination in agricultural sites and river sediments at the Vatukoula gold mine, Fiji Islands

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Diarra ◽  
Kristiana Ciocio ◽  
Matakite Maata
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Ecological Risk ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
River Sediments ◽  
Metal Exposure ◽  
Gold Mine ◽  
Guideline Values ◽  
Farm Soils

Abstract A comprehensive study was conducted to explore the concentration and distribution of heavy metals in farm soils and river sediments around a gold mining area in Fiji with particular emphasis on ecological and human health risks. Representative samples were acquired from farm sites in Matanagata Village and the Nasivi river, both situated around the Vatukoula gold mine limited (VGML), the largest operational gold mine in Fiji. Following aqua regia digestion and analysis by AAS, the average soil concentrations for Cu (110.4 mg kg–1), Cr (136.2 mg kg–1) and Cd (1.7 mg kg–1), and sediment concentrations for Pb (69.31 mg kg–1), Cd (1.82 mg kg–1), Cu (88.95 mg kg–1) and Cr (143.12 mg kg–1) were found to exceed the recommended guideline values. Based on the geo–accumulation index (Igeo) and enrichments factor (EF), the farm soils were moderately contaminated with Cd while the and sediments showed moderate to significant contamination with Pb, Ni and Cr. Ecological risk assessment confirmed moderate to considerable ecological risk in the metal–contaminated samples, with Cd and Pb generally presenting greater risk compared to other metals. Multivariate analyses including principal component analysis pointed to gold mining activities as a potential source for heavy metals in the area. Furthermore, human health risk assessment (HRA) indicated that while adults faced no significant carcinogenic or non–carcinogenic risks from metal exposure (HI < 1), children were at more risk from Co, Mn, Cr and Fe exposure, as well as potential carcinogenic risk from Cd (ILCR = 1.46E–04).

scholarly journals Clinical, Paraclinical, and Evolutionary Profiles of Kidney Failure in Gold Miners Hospitalized in a Nephrological Service in a Sub-Saharan African Country

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Gérard Coulibaly ◽  
Gaoussou Sanou ◽  
Moumouni Sanon ◽  
Aïda H. Y. Lengani ◽  
Juste Y. Bonzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Kidney Failure ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Chronic Kidney Failure ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Mining Site ◽  
Mining Sites ◽  
Gold Miners ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Surrounding Areas ◽  
A Prospective Study

Introduction. The purpose of this preliminary study is to describe the clinical, paraclinical, and evolutionary profiles of gold miner patients with kidney failure hospitalized in the nephrology and haemodialysis service in the Yalgado Ouédraogo University Hospital of Ouagadougou (CHU-YO). Patients and Methods. This was a longitudinal and descriptive study with a retrospective collection of data for the period from February 1, 2013, to March 31, 2018. Included were all gold miner patients who stayed and worked at an artisanal gold mining site for at least three months and who were diagnosed with acute or chronic kidney failure during hospitalization in the nephrology service. We collected sociodemographic, clinical, and paraclinical variables at admission and then three months later. Results. We included 50 patients; all were male and the average age was 29.4 ± 7.7 years. All patients were exposed to mercury and/or cyanide for an average of 4.5 ± 2.8 years. The average consultation/referral time for patients at the CHU-YO was 25.4 ± 14.9 days. The average of creatininemia was 2338.0 ± 791.4 μmol/L. Kidney failure was acute in five cases (10%) and chronic in the remaining 45 cases or 90%. Extrarenal purification was indicated in 43 cases (86%). It was not performed in nine of the 43 cases due to lack of financial resources for patients (six cases) or death prior to the onset of haemodialysis (three cases). Thirty-two of the 50 patients in the study (64% of cases) died. Conclusion. Chronic kidney failure in gold miners appears to be common and late-managed. A prospective study of kidney disease and its causes at gold mining sites and surrounding areas will assess the extent of the problem in the country and better clarify the prevention of these diseases in our country.

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