Safer Mining

The “green” energy transition is expected to significantly increase the demand for metals and minerals. A typical EV requires six times the mineral inputs of a conventional car and battery storage is expanding to provide secondary power on demand for the electrical grid. The International Energy Agency predicts that the expected demand over the next 20 years will require mining and processing 40% more copper, 60% more nickel and cobalt, and 90% more lithium than current production levels. Other metals and minerals will also experience significant increases in demand. Given opposition to new mining in many countries, it is expected that much of the demand will be met by expanding output in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). 

While pollution controls can minimize exposures to workers and surrounding communities, these safeguards are often absent in mining and smelting operations in LMICs. It is also expected that much of the growth in mineral output will come from informal mining activities that are largely unregulated in these countries. 

Even large industrial mining operations result in enormous waste emissions to air and water, and a legacy of environmental contamination in nearby communities. Around the world, unsafe mining and smelting practices have been responsible for a continuing series of environmental and human health disasters, which cause great human tragedy and undermine social stability, economic development and sustainability goals.

For example, in 2010, more than 400 children died in Zamfara, Nigeria from acute lead poisoning caused by unsafe mining and processing of lead-containing gold ore. People grinding the ore, often in and around their homes, contaminated at least 180 villages over a wide area.

To address this situation, Occupational Knowledge International conducted a five-year project in partnership with Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to reduce severe lead poisoning and lower community exposures from small-scale gold mining in areas of Northern Nigeria. Since 2010 MSF has responded to the high infant mortality rate linked to lead poisoning in this area and has monitored and treated thousands of poisoned children. Over time it has become apparent that the remediation of lead contamination and the treatment of lead poisoning will not be sustainable without also improving mining practices in these communities to reduce exposures and minimize off-site contamination.

Lead is present in the gold ore in substantial concentrations in several areas of Nigeria and processing this material results in significant exposures and environmental contamination. Environmental remediation to remove contaminated soil and dust has been completed in select communities. MSF and OK International have now partnered to work cooperatively with the miners in these areas to introduce safer work practices in order to reduce lead and silica dust exposures to miners and children.

Mine processing to crush gold ore releases significant concentrations of airborne lead and silica dust. This miner is wearing an air monitoring device to measure his exposure. Wet processing techniques have been introduced to reduce exposures.

These interventions include training miners to implement simple practices to reduce exposures with improved personal hygiene practices and setting up separate eating and changing areas. We are also introducing wet methods to reduce exposures in the processing of ore.

In addition to metals present in the ore, mercury is widely used for small-scale gold processing in Nigeria. This results in extensive environmental contamination and worker exposure to mercury. This project will explore opportunities to replace mercury, or reduce the use and resulting exposures, with improved mercury capture techniques.

Our efforts to introduce safer mining practices have been very successful in reducing hazardous levels of lead exposure among miners, ore processors and in these communities. We have demonstrated significant reductions in exposure. Low-cost interventions to convert dry ore processing to wet methods with spray misting were effective at reducing mean airborne lead levels by 95% (see published results). At the same time, the introduction of safer mining among these small-scale gold miners resulted in a statistically significant 32% reduction in geometric mean blood lead levels over a 19-month period.

We have shown from our work in Nigeria, India and Tanzania that low-cost measures can reduce hazardous exposures and greatly improve health outcomes in mining communities. Following our success in executing these projects, we hope to encourage the widespread adoption of safer mining techniques.