The hair of artisanal gold miners in eastern Cameroon has a concentration of mercury above the norm. This exposure to mercury can have harmful effects on the nervous, digestive or respiratory systems.
The use of mercury in artisanal gold mining puts miners and their families at risk of long-term toxicity and adverse health effects. health.
This is one of the conclusions of the study on the Assessment of the risks of artisanal gold mining on the health and safety of artisanal miners in the East region of Cameroon » carried out by the Forests and Rural Development Association (FODER) and published on October 19th.
The study was conducted in Batouri, Kette, Ngoura and Bétaré-Oya, four districts in the Eastern region which is home to many mining sites.
It aimed to assess the health and safety risks to which local artisans in this region are exposed and specifically "to assess the degree of mercury exposure of local artisans and the repercussions of this exposure on their health", says Ralph Obase Musono, main author of this study.
One hundred and thirty-four (134) miners participated in the survey. Sixty (60) hair samples were taken, including from amalgam burners and gold collectors, and then analyzed.
The results obtained show that in 71,1% of the artisans tested, the total concentration of mercury in the hair is higher than the limit recommended by the WHO.
According to Ralph Obase Musono, the internationally recommended level of mercury concentration in hair is 1 mg/kg.
Amalgam
Mercury is used in artisanal mining to obtain an amalgam (a mixture of gold and mercury).
This amalgam is then heated to collect "a maximum of gold", explains Justin Chekoua, project manager and program manager. biodiversity, mines and environment at FODER.
The main form of exposure is inhalation during the combustion of amalgam fillings and through physical contact (skin and mucous membranes) during the direct handling of mercury, the study specifies.
Its use is particularly dangerous and the health impact is significant. According to Ralph Obase Musono, the craftsmen interviewed during the survey claimed to experience many symptoms such as unusual fatigue, excessive sleep, tremors, hearing and visual difficulties and loss of taste sensation.
Questioned by SciDev.Net, Fernand Ombolo, president of the SOS doctors-Cameroon association, confirms that mercury can be quite toxic for the body beyond certain recommended doses.
According to his explanations, this chemical element can attack several. In particular the urinary (kidney failure), digestive (complications can manifest as diarrhea, vomiting, transit disorders) and neurological (vigilance and sleep disorders and even much more severe neurological damage) systems.
He goes on to point out that mercury can also affect the respiratory system if it is in vapor form.
“At that time, we have deposits in the lungs which will cause lung infections, increasingly severe respiratory failure. There may also be the occurrence of blood cancers such as leukemia,” says Fernand Ombolo.
Equipments
For Justin Chekoua, the results of the study should attract the attention of decision-makers so that they look into this problem. Especially since "they reveal the fact that mercury will have long-term harmful effects on the health of local craftsmen because of the high content of this metal in their organism", he explains in an interview with SciDev.Net.
However, the use of mercury in gold mining is prohibited in Cameroon. But, explains Justin Chekoua, since its introduction in this sector, it is almost impossible to ask a craftsman not to use it.
Evelyne Ngo Nyeck, executive at the National Brigade for the Control of Mining Activities at the Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development (MINMIDT), recognizes the difficulty of enforcing the decision taken by the Ministry of Mines on the ground.
According to her, the long distances between the various departmental delegations of MINMIDT and the operating sites as well as the lack of means of transport "do not allow us to be efficient".
However, with regard to the consequences of mercury on health, it specifies that the actions carried out relate to “awareness of craftsmen”.
In addition to raising awareness, Justin Chekoua also advocates the wearing of appropriate equipment. "Since it is difficult for them to do without it, what is needed is to raise their awareness so that they can use personal protective equipment...", he suggests.
Abundant in the same direction, Fernand Ombolo recommends the use of suitable masks and a reduction in exposure to mercury, for example by reducing working time.
He also thinks that occupational physicians equipped with the necessary equipment could monitor the amount of mercury exposure in these mining areas.
“Because you can be exposed to mercury without developing pathologies; but if the exposure is beyond the permitted quantities, there is a greater risk of having complications,” he adds.
Dupleix Kuenzop, executive secretary of the NGO Dynamique mondial des jeunes, says that the study carried out by FODER is "timely" because it "allows us to have a real picture of what is being done on the ground in terms of work but above all in terms of the risks to which artisanal gold miners are exposed”.
In order to drive change, he specifies that a more restricted framework for discussions with the ministries involved is needed.
Then, “it is important to involve the populations of these localities in this framework so that we have a critical mass of actors capable of talking about the same subject…”, he says.
It is also necessary, according to him, to bring the populations to become aware of the dangerousness of their activities. "And when they become aware, we are sure that in consultation frameworks, we can influence the decision-makers", suggests Dupleix Kuenzop.
This article was published on the French version of SciDev.net and is reproduced with their permission.