Despite the hazards silica dust poses to miners, small-scale gold mining is currently dealing with the issue significantly worse compared to larger operations, according to research in Tanzania.
The study ‘Silica Exposures in Artisanal Small-Scale Gold Mining in Tanzania and Implications for Tuberculosis Prevention’ found that silica exposure in artisanal mining operations is over two hundred times greater compared to larger mines.
Miners in Tanzania contract silicosis and tuberculosis (TB) at a rate 5 to 6 times higher than those in the general population.
Researchers found that the average levels of airborne silica crystals in underground gold mining operations were over 300 times the recommended limit set by the US National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.
The levels in surface operations still exceeded 4 times the same limit as artisanal mining operations suffer from a chronic lack of dust control measures.
Lead author of the study, Perry Gottesfeld, said, “silica dust hazards are being ignored while thousands of miners die each year due to silicosis and the alarmingly high rates of TB in these mining communities.”
Gottesfeld said that although the study itself was focused in Tanzania he would expect similar results to be found elsewhere, and called for greater health protection for the estimated 15 million artisanal miners working globally.
Damian Andrew, an author of the study said that “the use of low cost methods to control airborne dust could significantly reduce exposures and the risk of TB and silicosis in these communities.”
“Simple measures including water misting would be an effective method to greatly reduce silica dust exposures,” he suggested.
