Cross-Sectional Silica Exposure Measurements at Two Zambian Copper Mines of Nkana and Mufulira

Hayumbu, P.; Robins, Thomas G.; Key-Schwartz, Rosa

doi:10.3390/ijerph5020086

Cited by 23 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Michelo et al [2] also reported that handling of tools and materials was the hazard most frequently causing injuries in a Zambian copper mine. Also in Zambia, Bwalya et al [3] found that limestone dust exposure was associated with increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms, and Hayumbu et al [4] reported that poor dust monitoring and control may increase the risk of non-malignant disease in miners.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exposure to occupational health hazards among Zambian workers

Siziya

Rudatsikira

Mweemba

et al. 2012

Occupational Medicine

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Background Data on occupational safety and health in Southern Africa are scant. Hence the negative impact of poor working conditions is unknown and the scientific basis for interventions and policy formulation is lacking. AimsTo determine the prevalence of, and factors associated with, exposure to occupational health hazards in Zambia. MethodsWe used data collected in the 2009 National Labour Force Survey. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were used to measure magnitudes of associations. ResultsExposure to occupational hazards among the 64 119 respondents (response rate = 78%) included vibration from hand tools or machinery (3%), temperatures that make one perspire even when not working (4%), low temperatures whether indoors or outdoors (4%), smoke, fume, powder or dust inhalation (13%), pesticides (3%), noise so loud that voice had to be raised to talk to people (4%), chemical handling or skin contact (3%) and exposure to heavy object lifting, frequent bending of the back or rapid movement of limbs causing body pain (30%). In multivariate analysis, exposure to occupational health hazards was associated with older age, male sex, low educational level, being married/cohabiting and not being self-employed. ConclusionsResults from this study indicate that Zambian workers are exposed to a broad range of occupational health hazards. This could be useful for the formulation of a multi-sector approach aimed at the prevention and control of hazard exposure.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exposure to occupational health hazards among Zambian workers

Siziya

Rudatsikira

Mweemba

et al. 2012

Occupational Medicine

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“…The reported rates are mainly based on restricted sample sizes, making it difficult to derive population-based rates. Moreover, according to Hayumbu et al. (2008), the reported rates could substantially underestimate total silicosis cases in Zambia.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Preliminary review of mine air pollution in Zambia

Mwaanga

Silondwa

Kasali

et al. 2019

Heliyon

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Zambia is endowed with mineral wealth that includes copper, cobalt, gold, nickel, lead, silver, uranium, zinc, and numerous precious and semi-precious stones. Mining activities are predominantly found on the Copperbelt and North-Western Provinces, although these minerals are dotted all over the country. Copper mining in Zambia dates back to the 1900s and this period witnessed massive investment in mine development with concomitant increase in support facilities including building of new towns, roads and other commercial infrastructure. The mining sector has therefore evoked considerable national attention for its potential to contribute towards economic growth, job creation and poverty alleviation. However, mining and mineral processing by its very nature comes with environmental costs and the effects can continue long after the mining has stopped. The aim of this article was to review the relevant publications on the impacts of air pollution arising from mining operations with respect to human health, plants, animals and infrastructure and synthesize the views of researchers and suggest any additional research required to inform policy and remedial actions. This review has revealed that there is a paucity of studies on mining-related air pollution in Zambia. The main identified air pollutants were SO2 and particulate matter (PM), both fine and ultrafine (PM10, PM5.0, PM2.5 and PM0.1). The main sources of these pollutants were flue gases from smelter operations and dusts within the mines and those blown from both operational and abandoned waste rock, overburden and tailings dump sites. The identified occupational diseases for miners in Zambia were silicosis and tuberculosis, which have been compounded by the prevalence of HIV/AIDS. In the hotspot townships of air-borne exposures from smelter emissions in Mufulira, ambient air SO2 levels exceeded the ‘safe’ limits of international and National standards. Moreover, the top soils have turned acidic and have become laden with heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Co and Fe). These metals were also found in the dust deposited on leaves of crops. There were also visual signs of impaired vegetation cover and corroded housing infrastructure in the affected areas. In the vicinity of the abandoned Pb–Zn mine in Kabwe, the soils have been contaminated by heavy metals and pathological lead poisoning of children and wild mammals have occurred. The review article has further examined study gaps and suggested areas that need further research in order to address the challenges arising from the legacy of copper mining in Zambia. These include comprehensive PM characterization from mining environments, extent of occupation exposure to air pollutants, efficiency and efficacy of airborne control technologies, health risks and epidemiological studies in mining towns, and the influence of exposure to PM on pulmonary tuberculosis and HIV/aids among miners.

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“…in most workplaces that have a potential for silica dust exposure, the concentration of silica dust exceeds the allowed occupational limits (Aliabadi et al, 2007, Gholami et al, 2012b, Golbabaei et al, 2004 In a study conducted by Hayumbu et al (2008) on two mines in Zambia, the silica levels in these mines were 59% and 26%, and the quantity of free silica dust was 0.992 and 0.888 mg/m 3 , which are all higher than the permissible exposure limit, but are still significantly lower than the silica dust levels observed in the present study. The silica contents measured in the present study are also higher than those reported in that study (Hayumbu et al, 2008). In a study performed by Golbabaei et al on the Senjedak building stone mine, the silica dust level was 0.67 mg/m 3 , which was higher than the exposure limit to silica dust in this study (Golbabaei et al, 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The presence and quantity of free silica in mines and the occupational exposure of miners to silica dust have been the subject of many studies. Many of these studies have reported that, in most mines, the total and respirable dust levels are higher than the standard exposure limit (Golbabaei et al, 2004, Scarselli et al, 2014, Hayumbu et al, 2008, Azari et al, 2009. A study by Koo et al (2000) on the exposure to crystalline silica dust showed that the concentration of crystalline silica in the core-making unit was 0.023 mg/m 3 , which is lower than the limit, but in other units (molding, cleaning, melting) it was higher than the standard limits specified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and ACGIH (Koo et al, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Occupational Exposure to Silica Dust in Mining Workers in Eastern Iran

Golbabaei¹,

Gholami²,

Teimori-Boghsani³

et al. 2019

TOECOLJ

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Background and Objective: Silica dust is present in almost all mining operations and can cause various health problems such as silicosis in workers. The present study aimed to determine the total and respirable dust levels and the crystalline silica content of the soil in the breathing zone of workers in Iranian mines. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in 2016-2017 on six Iranian silica mines. Dust sampling was performed according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) method No. 0600. The samples were collected from the respiratory zone of workers at 114 stations in different units of the mines. The silica content was measured using the standard NIOSH method No. 7601. The crystalline silica content in bulk samples collected from the soil was determined by using the X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy method. Results: The highest concentration of crystalline silica dust was 2.81±0.49 mg/m3 and was observed in the air of crushing unit of mine no. 6, and the lowest was 0.08±0.208 mg/m3 and was measured in the management/administration unit of mine no.1. The mean silica content in the solid surface of the mines was 91%. The total and respirable dust levels in all units of the mines except management/administration were higher than the permissible limit. The free silica content of all collected samples was substantially higher than the permissible limits, and in some cases, it was as much as 100 times above the standard level, which reflects the extremely high risk of working in these mines. Conclusion: Exposure of workers with crystalline silica dust in all units was higher than the standard recommended limits. It is imperative to adopt immediate measures based on technical, managerial, and personal protection solutions to reduce the exposure of workers to silica.

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Cross-Sectional Silica Exposure Measurements at Two Zambian Copper Mines of Nkana and Mufulira

Cited by 23 publications

References 4 publications

Exposure to occupational health hazards among Zambian workers

Exposure to occupational health hazards among Zambian workers

Preliminary review of mine air pollution in Zambia

Evaluation of Occupational Exposure to Silica Dust in Mining Workers in Eastern Iran

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