Mercury, a treacherous enemy

D’clay Juta

Topic Background

Mining

Mozambique Gold Mining

Artisanal Gold Mining

Gold concetration

Mercury usage

Topic :

• Find out how Mercury is used by artisanal miners in “Fenda” Manica, in the season of April – June 2015, in order to compare with the international study of Mercury usage.

Justification

• The choice of this topic was based on the actual situation of artisanal mining in Manica. ‘’One of the major environmental problems associated with the Artisanal Mining is the usage of mercury, which NEVER disappears from the natural environment(...)’’ (E. Cristina). By studding this topic we’ll going to, not only find how they use it, but also to improve their techniques if it’s necessary.

Background

• Current situation:• In general the miners in Fenda use mercury to

separate and collect the gold from rocks in which it is found. Most of them are not unaware of it’s danger.

• “The mercury usage in artisanal gold mining contributes to a degradation of soil, water and health of the miners” D. Olavo

• Procedures ( UNEP)– Protective measures (retort)– Alternatives to mercury use (Carpet sluice)

Aims:Discovery the way that the miners in

“Fenda” uses mercury in their activities.

• Objective – Evaluate and Compare the way that the

miners use mercury in their processes. – Find out why they a keeping using it in

their process.– Find out the warm caused by mercury

usage

Research Questions

• Does the miners in “Fenda” use properly Mercury in their processes?

• What are the negatives impacts caused by mercury usage in “Fenda”?

• Are they informed of the risk of mercury usage?

• Does a mercury usage in mining affect people near the mine?

Methodology

• This research should be assembled on qualitative data collection, supported with a questionnaire, observation and at other case with a face to face interview.

END

• “We live by gold, and we’ll die by it”

• When we a talking about Artisanal mining we get at 1st the meaning of “ extraction of mineral by miners working in small or medium sized operations, using rudimentary techniques” , and most of them are unaware of the risk, that’s why I’m carrying out this research.