scholarly journals A Safer Gold Rush? Curbing Mercury Pollution in Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining

2019 ◽  
Vol 127 (11) ◽  
pp. 112001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey Konkel
Keyword(s):  
Gold Mining ◽  
Gold Rush ◽  
Mercury Pollution ◽  
Small Scale

scholarly journals An Investigation of the Socio-Economic Benefits of Small-Scale Gold Mining in Malawi

Mining ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-34
Author(s):  
Tiyamike Haundi ◽  
Gift Tsokonombwe ◽  
Steven Ghambi ◽  
Theresa Mkandawire ◽  
Ansley Kasambara
Keyword(s):  
Gold Mining ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Gold Rush ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Low Literacy ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Key Stakeholders ◽  
The Government

In the recent years, there has been a surge in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in various districts of Malawi. Reports of a gold rush have emerged in various districts, including Mangochi, Lilongwe, Balaka, and lately in Kasungu. There has been persistence by many indigenous communities participating in ASGM activities, yet little is being done by the government to formalize and support the sub-sector. The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefits of artisanal small-scale gold mining in Malawi and expose the shortfalls so that key stakeholders and policy makers are well informed. A quantitative approach which used semi-structured questionnaires was used and the data was analyzed using Microsoft excel and Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The study shows that ASGM is characterized by people with low literacy levels, who use traditional tools (low-tech) and use methods fueled by lack of capital, and deficiency of basic knowledge of mining and geology. The study found that the government could achieve substantial socio-economic development from the sector by: (1) revising the current artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) legislation so that it embraces the customary practices whilst safeguarding the environment and improving the tax collection base; (2) providing support in form of mining related training and education to these communities; (3) leading in transfer of modern technologies for improved extraction; (4) supporting ASM cooperatives in securing credit facilities from financial institutions; and (5) closing the existing knowledge gap for ASM related issues through introduction of mining desk officers in district councils.

scholarly journals Fried eggs and all-women gangs: the geopolitics of Chinese gold mining in Ghana, bodily vulnerability, and resistance

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-73
Author(s):  
Heidi Hausermann ◽  
Janet Adomako ◽  
Maya Robles
Keyword(s):  
Teen Pregnancy ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Gold Rush ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Monetary Policies ◽  
Feminist Geopolitics ◽  
Supportive Interventions ◽  
Pregnant Teen ◽  
Political Economic

Between 2008 and 2016, more than 50,000 Chinese citizens migrated to Ghana to mine gold on small-scale concessions. This is particularly surprising given that small-scale mining is an activity reserved for Ghanaian citizens. Foreign gold mining is mediated by various intersecting political economic and geopolitical shifts, including unprecedented gold demand, economic crisis, and informal conditions to Chinese loans. Based on long-term, mixed-methods fieldwork, and drawing from feminist geopolitics research, we argue Ghana’s recent gold rush portends gendered implications for bodies in rural areas. We center our discussion on bodies to demonstrate the ways extractive practices increase vulnerability among women and children, including teen pregnancy and mercury exposure. Yet, women also contest foreign mining and its myriad implications (e.g., refusing to sell land and entering sites while menstruating despite being “forbidden” to do so). A feminist geopolitics perspective allows the tracing of specific political economic processes (Chinese monetary policies, informal loan conditions) to other sites (Pokukrom, the pregnant teen), thereby enabling a clearer understanding of how supportive interventions might occur.

Deforestation and forest regeneration following small-scale gold mining in the Amazon: the case of Suriname

2001 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garry D. Peterson ◽  
Marieke Heemskerk
Keyword(s):  
Gold Mining ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Gold Rush ◽  
Forest Recovery ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Mining Sites ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Old Growth Forest

Despite scientific concern about Amazon deforestation and the impacts of the Amazon gold rush, few researchers have assessed the long-term impacts of small-scale gold mining on forest cover. This study estimates deforestation from gold mining and analyses the regeneration of abandoned mining areas in the Suriname Amazon. Fieldwork in December 1998 included observations and ecological measurements, as well as qualitative interviews with local miners about mining history and technology. Vegetation cover of abandoned mining sites of different ages was compared with that in old-growth forest. By present estimates, gold miners clear 48–96 km2 of old-growth forest in Suriname annually. Based on different assumptions about changes in technology and the amount of mining that takes place on previously mined sites, cumulative deforestation is expected to reach 750–2280 km2 by 2010. Furthermore, the analysis of abandoned mining sites suggests that forest recovery following mining is slow and qualitatively inferior compared to regeneration following other land uses. Unlike areas in nearby old-growth forest, large parts of mined areas remain bare ground, grass, and standing water. The area deforested by mining may seem relatively small, but given the slow forest recovery and the concentration of mining in selected areas, small-scale gold mining is expected to reduce local forest cover and ecosystem services in regions where mining takes place.

scholarly journals Mercury Contamination from Dental Amalgam

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (22) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Vazquez Tibau ◽  
Blanche D. Grube
Keyword(s):  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
The United States ◽  
Dental Amalgam ◽  
Mercury Pollution ◽  
Mercury Contamination ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
The European Union

Background. Mercury in dental amalgam is a hidden source of global mercury pollution, resulting from the illegal diversion of dental mercury into the artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector, to crematoria emissions from the deceased and sewage sludge that is sold to farmers. These significant mercury sources result in air, water, and food contamination that consequently have a negative impact on human health. Objectives. The aim of the present study was to investigate and report on all of the various pathways mercury in dental amalgam can enter the environment. Methods. The present study searched the electronic data bases of PubMed and Google Scholar. Peer reviewed journals and references of studies included for full-text review were examined for potentially relevant studies. Articles published between 2000 to 2018 were searched and specifically screened for articles that referenced “Dental Amalgam,” and the following key words in various combinations: “Minamata Convention on Mercury Treaty,” “Sewage Sludge,” “Cremation,” and “Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining.” Data were included on the most populous countries of China, India, the United States, Brazil, and the European Union collectively. We also included data on cremation statistics and current global trends, looking at populations where cremation is a common practice, such as Japan and India. Discussion. Dental amalgam represents a significant, but understudied area of global mercury pollution that includes cremation, sewage sludge, burial, and small-scale gold mining. Conclusions. Mercury used in products and processes, including dental amalgams, is a global pollutant. Even after the last mercury dental amalgam is placed, its toxic legacy will continue for decades, because of its pervasive bioaccumulation in the environment. Government regulatory agencies should make it mandatory to utilize available technologies, not only in developing countries, but also in developed countries, to reduce mercury contamination. Competing Interests. The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document