adminWalter Nyamukondiwa Mashonaland West Bureau
GOVERNMENT has been urged to increase awareness among artisanal miners of the dangers of unsafe use of mercury on the environment and people’s health. Artisanal miners and millers use mercury to extract gold from the ore. The most dangerous process involves the burning of the amalgam that results in mercury in it evaporating into the atmosphere.
Some of the mercury is released into rivers where it is consumed by fish and livestock which are later consumed by humans.
Speaking during a tour of areas where artisanal miners operate in Kadoma that was organised by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), Zimbabwe Small-Scale and Artisanal Miners’ Association president Mr Evans Ruzvidzo said there was need to educate artisanal miners on the dangers of mer- cury.
It also emerged that most of the artisanal miners and millers used mercury without protective clothing leading to direct exposure.
“People want to know more about the dangers of mercury but there is little information and effort to ensure the artisanal miners are educated on the dangers of using mercury,” he said.
“Mercury poisoning is a reality especially when they burn the amalgam during the processing phase where it turns into methyl mercury. This where mercury is most dangerous.”
Some of the symptoms of mercury poisoning include altered behaviour, loss of teeth and loss of weight among others.
Alternative methods of extracting gold from the ore include borax, chemical leaching and direct smelting among others.
One of the artisanal miners at Battlefields in Kadoma, Mr Changemore Mungaitei, said there was need for education on alternative methods of extracting gold.
“We have not heard of any effects of mercury but we use it in our day-to-day activities. Government should do more to educate people on better and safer alternatives for gold processing.”
EMA communications officer Mrs Joyce Chapungu said artisanal miners were in danger of exposure to the harmful effects of mercury.
“Zimbabwe is a signatory of the Minamata Convention on Mercury and we have a small-scale miners who use mercury for processing gold. Mercury has a lot adverse effects especially if they get direct exposure.
“There are a lot of ways in which people can be exposed including ingestion through the water they drink and the food they eat. The miners themselves are not using protective clothing when handling mercury thereby exposing them,” she said.
It also emerged that the artisanal miners do not want to use protective clothing due to superstitious beliefs on getting the gold.
Mercury is regarded as a persistent metal which remains in the environment leading to the contamination of the food chain.
Mercury pollution has emerged as a global health and environmental problem particularly in developing countries.
Online Reporter