scholarly journals Assessment of the Scale of Artisanal Mining in Bangwe Township, Blantyre

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jabulani Matsimbe
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Capital Requirements ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Mining Activities ◽  
Artisanal Mining ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Mining Sites ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Surrounding Areas ◽  
Quarry Mining

Even though mining contributes less than 1 % to Malawi’s gross domestic product (GDP), it is central to the government’s sustainable development goals strategy and spearheaded to be the backbone of Malawi’s economy. Little is known about the scale of artisanal quarry mining production, mining methods used, capital requirements, its diversity and distribution across different areas in Malawi. Present study seeks to fill that gap by assessing the scale of artisanal and small scale quarry mining activities in Bangwe Township. With a population of 170, 350, it represents 21% of the total population of Blantyre city which has 809, 397 people. The township was chosen as it is the main hub and supplier of artisanal aggregates to surrounding areas in Blantyre. In addition, the township has many unemployed youth with a high potential to get involved in artisanal mining thereby improving their lives. Most youth have a negative perception about artisanal mining as it is viewed as a non-profit making and labour intensive business. There are no gemstone mining sites in Bangwe Township. It was also found that there are 7 artisanal quarry mining sites in the township comprising Ntopwa, Mpingwe, Mvula, Number One, Namatapa, Namiyango and Chikunda. On average, each quarry mining site produces 5 wheelbarrows per day and sells at US$2.66 per wheelbarrow. As most builders require quarry for construction projects, the quarry miners sell at least 0.5 tonnes per day. The output of this study has created a database of artisanal quarry mining activities and the level of active youth involvement in artisanal mining in Bangwe Township. Policy makers will use the new knowledge to develop strategies that will foster the growth of artisanal quarry miners and empower the youth to join the artisanal mining business.

scholarly journals Assessment of the Scale of Artisanal Mining in Bangwe Township, Blantyre

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jabulani Matsimbe
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Capital Requirements ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Mining Activities ◽  
Artisanal Mining ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Mining Sites ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Surrounding Areas ◽  
Quarry Mining

Even though mining contributes less than 1 % to Malawi’s gross domestic product (GDP), it is central to the government’s sustainable development goals strategy and spearheaded to be the backbone of Malawi’s economy. Little is known about the scale of artisanal quarry mining production, mining methods used, capital requirements, its diversity and distribution across different areas in Malawi. Present study seeks to fill that gap by assessing the scale of artisanal and small scale quarry mining activities in Bangwe Township. With a population of 170, 350, it represents 21% of the total population of Blantyre city which has 809, 397 people. The township was chosen as it is the main hub and supplier of artisanal aggregates to surrounding areas in Blantyre. In addition, the township has many unemployed youth with a high potential to get involved in artisanal mining thereby improving their lives. Most youth have a negative perception about artisanal mining as it is viewed as a non-profit making and labour intensive business. There are no gemstone mining sites in Bangwe Township. It was also found that there are 7 artisanal quarry mining sites in the township comprising Ntopwa, Mpingwe, Mvula, Number One, Namatapa, Namiyango and Chikunda. On average, each quarry mining site produces 5 wheelbarrows per day and sells at US$2.66 per wheelbarrow. As most builders require quarry for construction projects, the quarry miners sell at least 0.5 tonnes per day. The output of this study has created a database of artisanal quarry mining activities and the level of active youth involvement in artisanal mining in Bangwe Township. Policy makers will use the new knowledge to develop strategies that will foster the growth of artisanal quarry miners and empower the youth to join the artisanal mining business.

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 Physicochemical Studies for Risk Identification, Assessment, and Characterization of Artisanal Barite Mining in Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 12982
Author(s):  
David Oluwasegun Afolayan ◽  
Carrick McAfee Eggleston ◽  
Azikiwe Peter Onwualu ◽  
Adelana Rasak Adetunji ◽  
Mingjiang Tao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Heavy Metal Contamination ◽  
Contamination Factor ◽  
Risk Identification ◽  
Carcinogenic Risk ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Exposure Level ◽  
Mining Activities ◽  
Mining Sites

Over 90% of barite mining activities in Nigeria are carried out by artisanal and small-scale miners (ASMs), and up to 75% of these miners operate informally, without mining license and rights. Such mining activities endanger human lives through the uncontrolled release of toxic heavy metals and other pollutants which are major causes and consequences of severe health hazards in children and adults living close to the mining sites. This paper is in two parts. The first section assesses the extent of heavy metal contamination of Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, Ba, and Zn in drinking water by the mine water and tailing effluents. The second section estimates heavy metals’ toxicity and exposure level and analyzes and characterizes other human health risks in tailing effluents selected from three barite mining sites in Nigeria. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) results show that the concentrations of Ba and Pb among other heavy metals are above the allowable limits for drinking water. Index of geo-accumulation (Igeo) and contamination factor (CF) for Ba, Fe, and Pb were classified as moderately to extremely polluted (based on the Igeo) and highly contaminated (based on the CF). The calculated non-carcinogenic risk for Ba is 0.87 and 0.99 for Pb. HQ/HI (health quotient/health index) for Zn, Cu, and Fe is ≤0.005. The results indicate that some precautionary measures should be taken to avert the non-carcinogenic risk of Ba and Pb. It is important that barite mining is carried out in a responsible manner, respecting local and national mining laws and global environmental standards.

scholarly journals Risk Behaviours among Women in Artisanal Mining of Mineral Substances on Sites in Kolwezi, DRC

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hervé Mutombu Kabwita ◽  
Clarence Mukeng a Kautd ◽  
Kakoma Tshikishi Basilea ◽  
Hitshika Tshikolasonyi Papya ◽  
Henri Mundongo Tshambaa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Mining Activities ◽  
Risk Behaviours ◽  
Risky Behaviour ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Artisanal Mining ◽  
Mining Sites ◽  
Vulnerable People ◽  
Mineral Substances ◽  
Women And Children

Artisanal mining is currently part of the main mining activities in DRC. However, it's marked by problems such as the exploitation of vulnerable people in this case women and children. This study is carried out with the aim of identifying risky behaviour among women in the exercise of their activities within artisanal mine in Kolwezi. It is a cross-sectional descriptive study of 374 women working in the 11 artisanal mining sites between January 2017 and May 2017. The data was analyzed using software Epi Info 7.2.1.0. The most prevalent risk behaviours observed were lack of wearing PPE 93,32% of the surveys, the use of mine water to ensure cleanliness of hands and utensils by 74,94% of inquiries, the seated position on the ores during grinding and sorting operations by 68,18% of surveys. These behaviours expose these women to the risks of irradiation and intoxication, given the levels of radiotoxic substances in these ores, which can be revealed somatically by disorders of several types.

scholarly journals Kajian kerusakan lingkungan pada tambang intan berbasis pertambangan rakyat di Kecamatan Cempaka, Kalimantan Selatan

2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lely Adriani Nasution ◽  
Suratman Suratman ◽  
Sudrajat Sudrajat
Keyword(s):  
Management Strategies ◽  
Observation Point ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Artisanal Mining ◽  
Damage Level ◽  
Mining Sites ◽  
Diamond Mining ◽  
Depth Interview ◽  
Long Time

Abstrak. Penambangan intan di Kecamatan Cempaka telah ada sejak dulu dan dikelola langsung oleh masyarakat serta tergolong sebagai tambang rakyat yang berskala kecil. Keberadaan tambang intan memunculkan permasalahan pada lingkungan berupa kerusakan. Kerusakan yang ditimbulkan mencakup seluruh aspek seperti abiotik, biotik dan kultural. Untuk itu perlu dilakukan suatu kajian terkait bagaimana kerusakan yang ditimbulkan dari kegiatan tersebut. Tujuan pada penelitian ini berupa, (1) mengidentifikasi jenis kerusakan lingkungan akibat kegiatan pertambangan intan, (2) menganalisis tingkat kerusakan lingkungannya, (3) merumuskan strategi pengelolaan yang sesuai untuk kerusakan lingkungan akibat pertambangan intan tersebut. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian merupakan metode gabungan antara kuantitatif berupa skoring dan perhitungan kelas interval serta kualitatif berupa wawancara mendalam, yang mengacu pada kriteria dari Buku I Kerusakan Lahan Akses Terbuka Akibat Tambang Rakyat oleh Kementrian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan (KLHK) tahun 2015. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa identifikasi jenis kerusakan lingkungan memiliki kesesuaian dengan parameter yang ada pada ketentuan KLHK tahun 2015. Analisis tingkat kerusakan menunjukkan bahwa titik pengamatan 4 di Kelurahan Sungai Tiung menjadi titik dengan tingkat kerusakan yang berat. Perumusan strategi pengelolaan menunjukkan bahwa pengalihfungsian lokasi pertambangan menjadi tujuan wisata adalah upaya pengelolaan yang paling tepat.   Abstract .Diamond mining in Cempaka Subdistrict existed for a long time ago and was handled by community groups and included as small-scale artisanal mining. The existence of diamond mining causes a problem to the environment like environmental damage. The damage caused covers all aspects such as abiotic, biotic, and cultural. Thus, it needs to carry out a study related to how these activities cause the damage. The purposes of the research are, (1) Identify the types of environmental damage, (2) analyze the level of environmental damage, (3) formulate the appropriate management strategies for environmental damage caused by diamond mining. The research method uses mix method between quantitative like scoring and calculation an interval class, and qualitative, with an in-depth interview, which references Book I Open Access to Land Damage due to Artisanal Mining by the Ministry of Environmental and Forestry 2015. The results showed that identifying the environmental damage type was in accordance with the parameters in 2015 of KLHK references. Analyze an environmental damage level shows the heavy damage level found in observation point 4 in Sungai Tiung. Formulation of a management strategy shows that mining sites' conversion to tourism destinations is the most appropriate.  

Managing the impacts of mining on Ghana’s water resources from a legal perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 156-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nasirudeen Abdul Fatawu
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Mining Activities ◽  
Protection Agency ◽  
Environmental Laws ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Legal Perspective

Recent floods in Ghana are largely blamed on mining activities. Not only are lives lost through these floods, farms andproperties are destroyed as a result. Water resources are diverted, polluted and impounded upon by both large-scale minersand small-scale miners. Although these activities are largely blamed on behavioural attitudes that need to be changed, thereare legal dimensions that should be addressed as well. Coincidentally, a great proportion of the water resources of Ghana arewithin these mining areas thus the continual pollution of these surface water sources is a serious threat to the environmentand the development of the country as a whole. The environmental laws need to be oriented properly with adequate sanctionsto tackle the impacts mining has on water resources. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedure needs to bestreamlined and undertaken by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and not the company itself.

Farmer Producer Company: India’s Magic Bullet to Realise Select SDGs?

2021 ◽  
pp. 097300522199166
Author(s):  
Mamta Mourya ◽  
Madhavi Mehta
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Method ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Magic Bullet ◽  
Value Addition ◽  
Professional Management ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Existing Form ◽  
Method Approach

Sustainable development goals (SDGs) are designed for the betterment of the underprivileged and the marginalised. Some of the sub-goals target doubling agricultural productivity and incomes of the small-scale food producers to realise the SDGs. Access to land, technology, inputs and financial services, opportunities for value addition and markets, non-farm employment and effective and transparent institutions that ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels are assumed to be the means to that end. Based on the Alagh Committee report’s recommendations, to address the voids in the existing form of collectives, producer company as a new legal option was introduced in 2003 by amending the Companies Act. This new form of collective is expected to combine efficiency and professional management of the company form and the cooperative principles necessitating ownership and participation of and governance by producers. This study takes a mixed-method approach. It qualitatively inquires about member’s perception of roles farmer producer companies (FPCs) play in their lives and livelihood. With the help of performance data from five FPCs, this study elaborates on the promises this form holds in realising some of the SDGs and challenges FPCs facing that could make achieving these promises a distant dream.

scholarly journals Infection Prevention Time Required for Construction and Design at a Large Tertiary-Care Hospital, 2019

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s69-s70
Author(s):  
Angie Dains ◽  
Michael Edmond ◽  
Daniel Diekema ◽  
Stephanie Holley ◽  
Oluchi Abosi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infection Control ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Class Iii ◽  
Construction Sites ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Time Required ◽  
Class Iv

Background: Including infection preventionists (IPs) in hospital design, construction, and renovation projects is important. According to the Joint Commission, “Infection control oversights during building design or renovations commonly result in regulatory problems, millions lost and even patient deaths.” We evaluated the number of active major construction projects at our 800-bed hospital with 6.0 IP FTEs and the IP time required for oversight. Methods: We reviewed construction records from October 2018 through October 2019. We classified projects as active if any construction occurred during the study period. We describe the types of projects: inpatient, outpatient, non–patient care, and the potential impact to patient health through infection control risk assessments (ICRA). ICRAs were classified as class I (non–patient-care area and minimal construction activity), class II (patients are not likely to be in the area and work is small scale), class III (patient care area and work requires demolition that generates dust), and class IV (any area requiring environmental precautions). We calculated the time spent visiting construction sites and in design meetings. Results: During October 2018–October 2019, there were 51 active construction projects with an average of 15 active sites per week. These sites included a wide range of projects from a new bone marrow transplant unit, labor and delivery expansion and renovation, space conversion to an inpatient unit to a project for multiple air handler replacements. All 51 projects were classified as class III or class IV. We visited, on average, 4 construction sites each week for 30 minutes per site, leaving 11 sites unobserved due to time constraints. We spent an average of 120 minutes weekly, but 450 minutes would have been required to observe all 15 sites. Yearly, the required hours to observe these active construction sites once weekly would be 390 hours. In addition to the observational hours, 124 hours were spent in design meetings alone, not considering the preparation time and follow-up required for these meetings. Conclusions: In a large academic medical center, IPs had time available to visit only a quarter of active projects on an ongoing basis. Increasing dedicated IP time in construction projects is essential to mitigating infection control risks in large hospitals.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

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