Dr. Befrina Igulu, the Project Manager for EHPMP
By VALENTINE OFORO
THE National Environment Management Council (NEMC) plans to produce and introducing to the small-scale gold miners in the country the mercury- free technological facilities for the filtering of gold minerals.
The envisaged development is part of series of initiatives by the country's environmental watching organ through the Environmental Health and Pollution Management Project (EHPMP), focusing to discourage effects of mercury towards human and environmental across the country.
As per the World Health Organisation (WHO) mercury stands among 10 leading sources of human health risks, if not handled professionally.
Dr. Befrina Igulu, the Project Manager for EHPMP said survey have established that most of the small scale gold miners across the country are prone to severe health effects due to unproper use of mercury.
"The so far done survey proved that most of small-scale gold miners within the country are operating under complicated and unwanted risk conditions as they're not adhering to required standards,"
"For instance during pre- processing of gold, which is often done by hand, most of them are not wearing hand- gloves, which is very risky," Dr Igulu said.
She was speaking during the special workshop tailored to educate members of the Federation of Miner's Association of Tanzania (FEMATA).
Dr Igulu itemised the dangerous diseases likely to affect the miners due to the situation as destruction of the kidney, conscious system, memory loss, stress all the time, loss of eyesight, shaking hands, reduced male power, miscarriage and children born with cerebral palsy.
To that end, she said the government through NEMC and the office of Chief Government Chemist has decided to initiate the project, EHPMP to run a number of efforts to curtail the situation.
She detailed that the project which is funded by World Bank (WB) focuses to help reduce harmful effects of unprofessional handling of mercury towards human beings and the environment in the country.
"Available records shows that Tanzania is annually importing and using between 18 and 21 Metric Tons (MT) of mercury, " she said.
She unveiled the leading regions for the use of the quicksilver mineral as Geita, Shinyanga, Mara, Tabora, Singida, Katavi, Lindi, Songwe and Dodoma.
" We're expecting to produce and introduce to the small-scale miners the enviromental-health friendly technologies to help them deter from use of mercury as a way to help conserve our environment, but their health also," she insisted.
The vision, according to her is to ensure the sector totally come out of mercury use by 2030, the much-needed development which comply with the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
"On October 5, 2020, the government of Tanzania signed the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the most recent global agreement on environment and health, adopted in 2013", she informed.
As part to introduce the technologies, she said the there will be established of several centers to showcase and train the miners on how to operate (use) the technologies, which will include Borax (Direct Melting), she added.
"We're also on the pipeline to start effective implementation of the National awareness strategy on effects of mercury, " she said, added that the initiative will go in tandem with opening of a special 'Mercury Awareness Centre ' in Geita region.
The Environmental Health and Pollution Management Project (EHPMP) is being implemented in the several regions, including Geita, Mbeya, Singida, Mwanza, Mara, Songwe and Shinyanga.
The initiative works to reduce exposure to mercury and uPOPs (Unintentional Persistent Organic Pollutants) pollution at pilot sites and strengthen the institutional capacity to manage and regulate mercury use in artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) and e-waste.
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