Silica Exposures in Artisanal Small-Scale Gold Mining in Tanzania and Implications for Tuberculosis Prevention

Gottesfeld, Perry; Andrew, Damian; Dalhoff, Jeffrey

doi:10.1080/15459624.2015.1029617

Cited by 39 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…We suspect that the ore dust to which miners are exposed may contain silica (Gottesfeld et al, 2015), but the latency period for silicosis development is longer than many people in Kejetia have mined, so some potential effects of this exposure may not yet be apparent. Kejetia is a younger, more transient population with only 31.4% of miners having mined for greater than a minimum of ten years and 47.1% having done a minimum of five years of mining.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The crushing, grinding, and sifting of gold-containing ore generates dust. Crystalline silica (SiO 2 ) content of dust associated with some gold ore can exceed 30% (Greenberg, Waksman, & Curtis, 2007), and airborne levels of crystalline silica in ASGM sites can exceed exposure limits (Gottesfeld et al, 2015). Long-term inhalation and/or high-level exposure to crystalline silica can lead to the development of silicosis, an irreversible pulmonary fibrosis disease that can develop from five to 45 years after exposure to silica dust (Greenberg et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Pulmonary function and respiratory health of rural farmers and artisanal and small scale gold miners in Ghana

Rajaee

Yee

Long

et al. 2017

Environmental Research

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The recent increase in artisanal and small scale gold mining (ASGM) worldwide has elicited a number of public health concerns for miners and mining communities, including respiratory health. The two primary inhalational exposures of concern are crystalline silica expected to be present in gold ore and smoke from biomass fuels used in cooking. Here, measurements of pulmonary function and of respiratory symptoms were performed in an ASGM community, Kejetia, and a comparison agricultural community, Gorogo, in the Upper East Region of Ghana in May-July 2011. Of 172 participants, 159 performed spirometry, yielding 119 and 95 valid measurements for FEV1 and FVC, respectively. Percent predicted FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC, which were lower than predicted for a healthy population, were not significantly different between Kejetia and Gorogo or by mining status in Kejetia. Abnormal lung function was elevated for predicted FEV1 (15.0%) and FEV1/FVC (22.0%) beyond an expected five percent in healthy populations. This first examination of pulmonary function in an ASGM community in Ghana (and possibly worldwide) did not show an obvious relationship between mining involvement and lung function abnormality, but did show associations between the use of biomass fuels, adverse respiratory symptoms, and reduced pulmonary function in both populations. A number of factors including age differences between the populations and the required lag time after silica exposure for the onset of respiratory disease may have affected results. Additional research is needed with larger sample sizes and with more detailed questionnaires to further assess the impact of multiple stressors on respiratory health in ASGM communities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pulmonary function and respiratory health of rural farmers and artisanal and small scale gold miners in Ghana

Rajaee

Yee

Long

et al. 2017

Environmental Research

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“…2 The former are well-controlled with regulations and safety measures in place for workers depending on their level of exposure to toxicants, whereas the latter remain anonymous owing to the illegality of their operations. 3 The present study focuses on the legal gold mining sector in Ghana and the hazards it presents to human health. These hazards can be in the form of occupational injuries and/or ill health resulting directly from mining activities or their sequelae.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The main composition of respirable dust generated from quartz ore gold mines is crystalline silica, which has been implicated as the main toxicant in the pathogenesis of diseases within the mining field. 3 Silica exists in two forms, crystalline and noncrystalline. The former is responsible for almost all of the harmful effects of silica owing to its ubiquitous nature, stability, aqueous insolubility and the presence of reactive oxygen species on its surface.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occupational Respirable Mine Dust and Diesel Particulate Matter Hazard Assessment in an Underground Gold Mine in Ghana

Mensah

Mensah-Darkwa

Drebenstedt

et al. 2020

Journal of Health and Pollution

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ResearchBackground. Underground miners can experience occupational health diseases due to exposure to particulate matter hazards. Objectives. The aim of the present study was to examine occupational exposures of underground miners to dust and diesel particulate matter and to identify exposure groups with high potential to develop associated health effects due to the presence of dust and diesel particulate matter (DPM) hazards in an underground gold mine in Ghana. Methods. Purposive sampling was employed using gravimetric air samplers over an 8-hour time weighted average period. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) analytical Chapter Q and 5040 were used in determining crystalline silica dust and diesel particulate matter fractions, respectively. Structured questionnaires were administered to gather data on workers' level of awareness to dust and DPM exposures. Results. It was found that 41% of the sampled groups were exposed to higher crystalline silica levels above the (NIOSH) permissible exposure limit (PEL) level of 0.05 mg/m 3 . For DPM, 49% of these groups had exposures above the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) PEL level of 160 µg/m 3 . Among the 94 mine workers who responded to this study, 62% were found to be aware of the presence and hazardous nature of silica dust, 28% had minimal knowledge and the remaining were found to be unaware. Conclusions. There are varying levels of dust and DPM due to the presence of silica-bearing rocks, the production of diesel fumes and inefficiencies of available mitigation measures. Research carried out over the past decades has found confirmed cases of silicosis and lung cancer due to high dust exposure levels. Rock drillers, blast men and shotcrete operators were found to be exposed to higher levels of dust and diesel particulate matter and are at greater risk of silicosis.

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“…(1–13) Many construction tasks have been associated with overexposure to crystalline silica. (14, 15) Among these tasks are tuck pointing, concrete sawing, concrete grinding, concrete scabbling, jackhammering, installing roof tiles, and abrasive blasting.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Respirable crystalline silica exposures during asphalt pavement milling at eleven highway construction sites

Hammond

Shulman

Echt

2016

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene

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Asphalt pavement milling machines use a rotating cutter drum to remove the deteriorated road surface for recycling. The removal of the road surface has the potential to release respirable crystalline silica, to which workers can be exposed. This paper describes an evaluation of respirable crystalline silica exposures to the operator and ground worker from two different half-lane and larger asphalt pavement milling machines that had ventilation dust controls and water-sprays designed and installed by the manufacturers. Manufacturer A completed milling for eleven days at four highway construction sites in Wisconsin, while Manufacturer B completed milling for ten days at seven highway construction sites in Indiana. To evaluate the dust controls, full-shift personal breathing zone air samples were collected from an operator and ground worker during the course of normal employee work activities of asphalt pavement milling at eleven different sites. Forty-two personal breathing zone air samples were collected over 21 days (sampling on an operator and ground worker each day). All samples were below 50 µg/m3 for respirable crystalline silica, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommended exposure limit. The geometric mean personal breathing zone air sample was 6.2 µg/m3 for the operator and 6.1 µg/m3 for the ground worker for the Manufacturer A milling machine. The geometric mean personal breathing zone air sample was 4.2 µg/m3 for the operator and 9.0 µg/m3 for the ground worker for the Manufacturer B milling machine. In addition, upper 95% confidence limits for the mean exposure for each occupation were well below 50 µg/m3 for both studies. The silica content in the bulk asphalt material being milled ranged from 7% to 23% silica for roads milled by Manufacturer A and from 5% to 12% silica for roads milled by Manufacturer B. The results indicate that engineering controls consisting of ventilation controls in combination with water-sprays are capable of controlling occupational exposures to respirable crystalline silica generated by asphalt pavement milling machines on highway construction sites.

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Silica Exposures in Artisanal Small-Scale Gold Mining in Tanzania and Implications for Tuberculosis Prevention

Abstract: Gold miners exposed to crystalline silica are at risk of silicosis, lung cancer, and experience higher incidence rates of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB)

Cited by 39 publications

References 17 publications

Pulmonary function and respiratory health of rural farmers and artisanal and small scale gold miners in Ghana

Pulmonary function and respiratory health of rural farmers and artisanal and small scale gold miners in Ghana

Occupational Respirable Mine Dust and Diesel Particulate Matter Hazard Assessment in an Underground Gold Mine in Ghana

Respirable crystalline silica exposures during asphalt pavement milling at eleven highway construction sites

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