ARSENIC IN THE GOLD MINING AREAS OF NORTHERN TANZANIA AND POTENTIAL HEALTH IMPACTS

AbstractIncreased prices and political pressure are boosting illegal gold mining in the Brazilian Amazon, threatening forests, indigenous people, and conservation of biodiversity in protected areas. The rate of illegal mining deforestation increased more than 90% from 2017 to 2020, reaching 101.7 km2 annually in 2020 compared to 52.9 km2 annually in 2017. In that period, illegal mining deforestation rate grew more than the rate of clearing within mining leases. While formal mining is required to comply with environmental regulations, most small-scale or artisanal mining and especially illegal mining areas are abandoned after reserves are exhausted, without proper rehabilitation. Deforestation due to illegal mining is likely to increase in the next years, calling for coordination between local and regional policies as well as for strengthening and expanding international mechanisms to increase traceability of mineral supply chains with certification schemes to help to curb illegal mining.

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Correction to: Analysis of the Mercury Distribution in Blood as a Potential Tool for Exposure Assessment — Results from Two Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Areas in Zimbabwe

Biological Trace Element Research ◽

10.1007/s12011-021-02750-x ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Anna-Maria Wahl ◽

Stephan Bose-O’Reilly ◽

Viola Mambrey ◽

James P. K. Rooney ◽

Dennis Shoko ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Exposure Assessment ◽

Gold Mining ◽

Small Scale ◽

Mercury Distribution ◽

Mining Areas ◽

Distribution In Blood ◽

Potential Tool ◽

Assessment Results

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Planetary Health, Climate Change, and Lifestyle Medicine: Threats and Opportunities

American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine ◽

10.1177/15598276211008127 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 155982762110081

Author(s):

Neha Pathak ◽

Amanda McKinney

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Human Health ◽

Core Competencies ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Impacts ◽

Noncommunicable Diseases ◽

Potential Health ◽

Lifestyle Medicine ◽

The Face ◽

Mitigate Climate Change

Global environmental degradation and climate change threaten the foundation of human health and well-being. In a confluence of crises, the accelerating pace of climate change and other environmental disruptions pose an additional, preventable danger to a global population that is both aging and carrying a growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Climate change and environmental disruption function as “threat multipliers,” especially for those with NCDs, worsening the potential health impacts on those with suboptimal health. At the same time, these environmental factors threaten the basic pillars of health and prevention, increasing the risk of developing chronic disease. In the face of these threats, the core competencies of lifestyle medicine (LM) present crucial opportunities to mitigate climate change and human health impacts while also allowing individuals and communities to build resilience. LM health professionals are uniquely positioned to coach patients toward climate-healthy behavior changes that heal both people and the planet.

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