A global rise in alluvial mining increases sediment load in tropical rivers.

Increasing gold and mineral mining activity in rivers across the global tropics has degraded ecosystems and threatened human health1,2. Such river mineral mining involves intensive excavation and sediment processing in river corridors, altering river form and releasing excess sediment downstream2. Increased suspended sediment loads can reduce water clarity and cause siltation to levels that may result in disease and mortality in fish3,4, poor water quality5 and damage to human infrastructure6. Although river mining has been investigated at local scales, no global synthesis of its physical footprint and impacts on hydrologic systems exists, leaving its full environmental consequences unknown. We assemble and analyse a 37-year satellite database showing pervasive, increasing river mineral mining worldwide. We identify 396 mining districts in 49 countries, concentrated in tropical waterways that are almost universally altered by mining-derived sediment. Of 173 mining-affected rivers, 80% have suspended sediment concentrations (SSCs) more than double pre-mining levels. In 30 countries in which mining affects large (>50 m wide) rivers, 23 ± 19% of large river length is altered by mining-derived sediment, a globe-spanning effect representing 35,000 river kilometres, 6% (±1% s.e.) of all large tropical river reaches. Our findings highlight the ubiquity and intensity of mining-associated degradation in tropical river systems.

A Comprehensive dataset for Australian mine production 1799 to 2021.

Given that metals, minerals and energy resources extracted through mining are fundamental to human society, it follows that accurate data describing mine production are equally important. Although there are often national statistical sources, this typically includes data for metals (e.g., gold), minerals (e.g., iron ore) or energy resources (e.g., coal). No such study has ever compiled a national mine production data set which includes basic mining data such as ore processed, grades, extracted products (e.g., metals, concentrates, saleable ore) and waste rock. These data are crucial for geological assessments of mineable resources, environmental impacts, material flows (including losses during mining, smelting-refining, use and disposal or recycling) as well as facilitating more quantitative assessments of critical mineral potential (including possible extraction from tailings and/or waste rock left by mining). This data set achieves these needs for Australia, providing a world-first and comprehensive review of a national mining industry and an exemplar of what can be achieved for other countries with mining industry sectors.

Accidentes de trabajo mortales y enfermedades profesionales en la minería (Régimen General). Perú: 2010-2019 / Fatal work accidents and professional diseases in mining (General Regime). Peru: 2010-2019

Se analiza el comportamiento de los accidentes de trabajo mortales (ATM) y de las enfermedades profesionales (EP), en relación con las empresas del régimen general en la minería peruana, durante los años 2010 al 2019. Se realizó un estudio transversal de la base de datos del Ministerio de Energía y Minas. El estudio incluyó las notificaciones de accidentes de trabajo mortales y de las enfermedades profesionales reportadas en esa década por las empresas mineras del régimen general; del 2010 al 2019 para los ATM, y entre 2011- 2019 para las EP, a nivel nacional. Resultados: De 422 ATM notificados entre 2010-2019 se determinan cuatro rangos, considerando 126 empresas. El rango D (dos empresas) son el 2% pero las que presentan la mayor siniestralidad laboral. La empresa D1 acredita 29 ATM y la empresa D2 tiene19 ATM, ambas asumen el 11.34% del total de los ATM en la década analizada. El rango A, son 95 empresas, conforman el 75% del total y presentan entre 1 a 3 ATM para el mismo periodo. El 61% de trabajadores víctimas de ATM son de contratistas y conexas; mientras que el 39% son ATM de las empresas principales. Entre 2011-2019 se notificaron 40,001 EP en las empresas mineras, trabajadores con menos de un año registran EP y mayores de 55 años tienen una curva pronunciada de EP. El 1% son trabajadoras mineras y el 99% son trabajadores. Se necesita mayor investigación sobre las EP en el sector minero(AU)

To analyse the behavior of fatal work accidents (ATMs for its acronym in Spanish) and occupational diseases (EPs), in companies under the general regime of the mining sector in Peru during the years 2010 to 2019. A cross-sectional study was carried out using the database from the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM). The study included notifications at the national level of ATMs (2010-2019) and EPs (2011 to 2019) reported by the mining companies under the general regime. Results: Of 422 ATMs reported by 126 companies between 2010-2019, four range categories were determined. Rank D grouped two companies (representing only 2%) that had the highest occupational accident rate. Company D1 reported 29 ATMs and company D2 reported 19 ATMs, together accounting for 11.34% of the total number of ATMs during the study period. Rank A consisted of 95 companies (representing 75%) and reporting between 1 to 3 ATMs for the same period. Contractor and outsourcing companies reported 61% of workers victims of ATMs, while main companies reported 39% of ATMs. Between 2011-2019, 40,001 EPs were reported in mining companies, workers under one year reported EPs, and workers over 55 years of age had a steep EP curve. Female workers represent 1% of mining workers and 99% are male workers. More research is needed on EPs in the mining sector(AU)

Health impacts of industrial mining on surrounding communities: Local perspectives from three sub-Saharan African countries.

Industrial mining projects can play an important role in global sustainable development if associated health risks are minimised and opportunities maximised. While a broad body of evidence from quantitative studies exists that establishes the interlinkages between mining operations and effects on public health, little research has been conducted investigating health impacts from the perspective of affected communities. This is particularly true in sub-Saharan Africa, where about a third of the remaining global mineral resources are endowed and health-related indicators for sustainable development are lagging behind. In this multi-country qualitative study, we explore community perceptions regarding impacts of industrial mining on their health and well-being. In nine study sites in Burkina Faso, Mozambique and Tanzania, we conducted 83 participatory focus group discussions with a total of 791 participants (385 men, 406 women). Our findings reveal a broad range of perceived impacts on environmental, economic and social determinants of health, with secondary health implications related to morbidity, mortality and well-being. Overall, perceived negative impacts prevailed, mainly related to environmental pollution, change in livelihoods or social disruption. Perceived positive impacts on health and well-being were related to interventions implemented by the mines such as new or improved water sources, health care facilities, roads and schools. The consistency of these findings across countries and study sites suggests a structural problem and indicates a pressing need to address health by acting on the wider determinants of health in mining regions. Participatory health impact assessment should be strengthened in host countries to foster strategic interventions, include marginalised population groups, and protect and promote the health of local communities. By including community perspectives on health before and during project implementation, policymakers can take advantage of economic opportunities while avoiding the pitfalls, bringing their communities closer to achieving good health and well-being goals by 2030 and beyond.

Effects of chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in Chilean miners.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to determine the effects of chronic intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (CIHH) on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in Chilean miners who work at different altitudes. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted between April and July 2019. Miners from five mines (N=338) at different altitudes were evaluated. We recorded sociodemographic, working and altitude information. Haemoglobin oxygen saturation (SaO2) and haemoglobin (Hb) were measured in situ, while PSA and testosterone were analysed at a low level. Linear mixed-effect models were used to evaluate the association between PSA level and two CIHH exposures: composite CIHH (with four descriptors) and ChileStd-CIHH (CIHH Chilean standard; based on the Chilean technical guide for occupational exposure to CIHH). All models were adjusted by age, body mass index and day of the work the samples were taken. RESULTS: Highest and lowest PSA levels were found in mines ≥3000 m above sea level (mine 3: median=0.75, IQR=-0.45; mine 4: median=0.46, IQR=-0.35). In the multilevel models, the wider altitude difference between mining operation and camp showed lower PSA levels (model D: ßPSA=-0.93 ng/mL, ßlogPSA=-0.07, p<0001), adjusted for other CIHH descriptors, SaO2, Hb and testosterone. The descriptors of composite CIHH explained better PSA variations than ChileStd-CIHH (model D: marginal R2=0.090 vs model A: marginal R2=0.016). CONCLUSIONS: Occupational health regulations and high altitude medicine should consider these results as initial evidence on the inclusion of new descriptors for CIHH and the possible effect of this exposure on PSA levels in this male-dominated occupational sector.

Case finding of tuberculosis among mining communities in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Data on active TB case finding activities among artisanal gold mining communities (AMC) is limited. The study assessed the yield of TB cases from the TB screening activities among AMC in Ghana, the factors associated with TB in these communities and the correlation between the screening methods and a diagnosis of TB. METHODS: We conducted secondary data analyses of NTP program data collected from TB case finding activities using symptom screening and mobile X-ray implemented in hard to reach AMC. Yield of TB cases, number needed to screen (NNS) and the number needed to test (NNT) to detect a TB case were assessed and logistic regression were conducted to assess factors associated with TB. The performance of screening methods chest X-ray and symptoms in the detection of TB cases was also evaluated. RESULTS: In total 10,441 people from 78 communities in 24 districts were screened, 55% were female and 60% (6,296) were in the aged 25 to 54 years. Ninety-five TB cases were identified, 910 TB cases per 100,000 population screened; 5.6% of the TB cases were rifampicin resistant. Being male (aOR 5.96, 95% CI 3.25-10.92, P < 0.001), a miner (aOR 2.70, 95% CI 1.47-4.96, P = 0.001) and age group 35 to 54 years (aOR 2.27, 95% CI 1.35-3.84, P = 0.002) were risk factors for TB. NNS and NNT were 110 and 24 respectively.; Cough of any duration had the strongest association with X-ray suggestive of TB with a correlation coefficient of 0.48. Cough was most sensitive for a diagnosis of TB; sensitivity of 86.3% (95% CI 79.4-93.2) followed by X-ray, sensitivity 81.1% (95% CI 71.7-88.4). The specificities of the symptoms and X-rays ranged from 80.2% (cough) to 97.3% (sputum). CONCLUSION: The high risk of TB in the artisanal mining communities and in miners in this study reinforces the need to target these populations with outreach programs particularly in hard to reach areas. The diagnostic value of cough highlights the usefulness of symptom screening in this population that may be harnessed even in the absence of X-ray to identify those suspected to have TB for further evaluation.

Health conditions in retired manual labor miners and oil and gas extraction workers: National Health Interview Survey, 2007-2017.

BACKGROUND: Within the mining industrial sector, workers in the mining and oil and gas extraction (OGE) industries have demonstrated disparities in chronic health status compared with the general working population. However, we know much less about miner and OGE worker health once retired. This study separately compares chronic illnesses in retired miners and OGE workers with all other retirees. METHODS: National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) public data were analyzed for the years 2007-2017 to estimate weighted unadjusted and adjusted prevalence of selected health conditions (cancer, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, respiratory conditions, health status, and hearing loss) in retirees. Three retired worker groups (miners, OGE, and other retirees) were defined using the respondents' longest-held industry and occupation. RESULTS: Higher prevalence of a number of adverse health conditions was noted in miners and OGE workers when compared with all other retirees. A significantly higher adjusted prevalence of hypertension, hearing loss, functionally limiting lung problems, and fair or poor health was seen in miners over other retirees. Retired OGE workers demonstrated a significantly higher adjusted prevalence of both hearing loss and poor health status. CONCLUSIONS: Miners and OGE workers have higher morbidity during their working years, and this study demonstrates that poorer health appears to continue into retirement. These results suggest the need to expand occupational health and safety programs in the mining sector to improve the health of workers into retirement. Future studies that include more robust information on workplace exposures are needed to evaluate the long-term health of retired workers.

Occupational skin disease in mining: an Australian case series.

The mining industry has one of the highest rates of occupational disease across all industries. However, occupational skin disease (OSD) is not commonly reported in this industry, although has been estimated to affect up to 51 people per 100,000 workers, with contact dermatitis accounting for the majority of cases. It often has a poor prognosis and leads to days lost from work. There have been relatively few reports regarding the specific forms of OSD encountered by miners worldwide. We report our experience of miners attending our Occupational Dermatology Clinic and our investigations at two Australian mines. We compare our findings with other reports of OSD in the mining population. The most commonly observed skin condition was irritant contact dermatitis, but miliaria and allergic contact dermatitis were also observed. It is not surprising that most cases of OSD appear to be related to harsh working conditions and exposures to multiple skin irritants, however, specific exposures causing ACD should not be forgotten. Our findings are consistent with previous studies of OSD in miners.

Olympic Dam: BHP thinking big about the future.

Olympic Dam is one of the world's most significant polymetallic orebodies producing copper, uranium, gold, and silver in remote South Australia. The polymetallic deposit is located 520 km north-northwest of Adelaide, South Australia and has an inferred resource of 2660 Mt at 1.2% Cu, 1.4 kg t-1 U3Os, and 0.5 g t-1 Au. Ore is mined from the underground operation at a rate of approximately 10 mt year-1, and is processed on site through a concentrator and hydrometallurgical facility, smelter, and electrolytic refinery. Olympic Dam is one of the only sites in the world to claim the 'mine to market' title. Protection of the workforce and the environment has been a primary focus for the operations through its 30+ year life and will continue to be into the future. Broken Hill Propriety Company (BHP) believes that its most important asset is its people. With such a large orebody and a very long potential mine life, it is important to think strategically about the future to ensure the viability of the operation. This requires development of mine and surface processing facilities in a staged manner. Importantly, it also involves the development of people. This presentation provides an overview of BHP's work at Olympic Dam and outlines development plans for Olympic Dam into the future.© 2020 ICRP. Published by SAGE.

Renewable energy production will exacerbate mining threats to biodiversity.

Renewable energy production is necessary to halt climate change and reverse associated biodiversity losses. However, generating the required technologies and infrastructure will drive an increase in the production of many metals, creating new mining threats for biodiversity. Here, we map mining areas and assess their spatial coincidence with biodiversity conservation sites and priorities. Mining potentially influences 50 million km2 of Earth's land surface, with 8% coinciding with Protected Areas, 7% with Key Biodiversity Areas, and 16% with Remaining Wilderness. Most mining areas (82%) target materials needed for renewable energy production, and areas that overlap with Protected Areas and Remaining Wilderness contain a greater density of mines (our indicator of threat severity) compared to the overlapping mining areas that target other materials. Mining threats to biodiversity will increase as more mines target materials for renewable energy production and, without strategic planning, these new threats to biodiversity may surpass those averted by climate change mitigation.

Lagging or leading? Exploring the temporal relationship among lagging indicators in mining establishments 2006-2017.

PROBLEM: Safety management literature generally categorizes key performance indicators (KPIs) as either leading or lagging. Traditional lagging indicators are measures related to negative safety incidents, such as injuries, while leading indicators are used to predict (and therefore can be used to prevent) the likelihood of future negative safety incidents. Recent theory suggests that traditional lagging indicators also possess characteristics of leading indicators, and vice versa, however empirical evidence is limited. METHOD: The current research investigated the temporal relationships among establishment-level injuries, near misses, and fatal events using injury and employment data from a sample of 24,910 mining establishments over a 12-year period. RESULTS: While controlling for employee hours worked, establishment-level reported injuries and near misses were associated with of future fatal events across the sample of mines and over the time period studied. Fatal events were also associated with increases in future reported near misses, providing evidence of a cyclic relationship between them. DISCUSSION: These findings challenge the strict categorization of injuries, near misses, and fatal events as lagging indicators. Practical applications: Understanding the KPIs that should be used to manage organizational safety, and how they can be used, is of critical practical importance. The results of the current study suggest that, depending on several considerations, metrics tied to negative safety incidents may be used to anticipate, and possibly prevent, future negative safety events.

Injuries during the first hour at work in the U.S. mining industry.

BACKGROUND: The first hour of a shift in a mine is characterized by a large movement of miners from incoming and outgoing shifts, in addition to safety and maintenance checks of mining equipment. These activities rely on communication to ensure a safe transition between shifts. This study aims to identify risk factors for injury among miners during the first hour of a work shift and to characterize injury outcomes. METHODS: Data from U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration Part 50 reports, 1983-2015, were used to identify injuries occurring within the first hour of a shift. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate predictors of injuries occurring during the first shift-hour and to assess the outcome of these injuries. RESULTS: Out of the 545,537 cases included in the analysis, 16,446 injuries occurred during the first hour of a shift. Risk factors associated with these injuries included being female, being older, working on Sunday and Monday, having an irregular shift start, working night shifts, employed in surface mining operations, and mine operations with <200 employees, and mechanisms of injury related to falls, movement of equipment and personnel, and being struck by or caught between boxes and containers. Injurious incidents occurring during the first hour of work were associated with mass injury events involving five or more workers (aOR = 3.58; 95% CI: 2.77, 4.64). CONCLUSIONS: Although injury rates were substantially lower during the first hour of work compared to all other work hours, this study identified risk factors and mechanisms of injury that are highly preventable during the first hour of work.

Prevalence and epidemiological characteristics of human immunodeficiency virus-1 infection in an iron mining area with intense migratory flow in Pará State, Brazilian amazon, 2005-2014.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a major global public health problem. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of HIV-1 infection in four municipalities of Pará State (Marabá, Parauapebas, Curionópolis, and Canaã dos Carajás), in northern, Brazil. The municipalities are located in the Carajás Complex iron mining area. The employment opportunities result in extensive migratory flow of people. A total of 4771 serum samples were obtained from 2005 to 2014 and were sent to Evandro Chagas Institute, Belém-Pará, where they were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, with reactive samples confirmed by Western blot analysis. The samples were from individuals from 23 Brazilian states and the Federal District, mainly Maranhão (39.53%) and other municipalities of Pará (34.25%). The total positivity rate was 0.48% (23/4771). The rate was 0.47% (14/2975) in males and 0.50% (9/1796) in females. Of these, 0.33% (14/4275) were from asymptomatic individuals whose serum were collected during the serological survey, 1.81% (9/497) were from cases featuring clinical symptoms including fever/diarrhea/jaundice, which were included in febrile, diarrheal, and icteric syndromes analyzed during the study. The findings indicated the presence of HIV-1 infection in the general population studied. The majority of cases (60.9%, 14 of 23 positive cases) were asymptomatic.

Predictors of silicosis and variation in prevalence across mines among employed gold miners in South Africa.

BACKGROUND: The stated intention to eliminate silicosis from the South African goldmining industry as well as current programmes to find and compensate ex-miners with silicosis require an understanding of variation in silicosis prevalence across the industry. We aimed to identify the predictors of radiological silicosis in a large sample of working miners across gold mines in South Africa. METHODS: Routine surveillance chest radiographs were collected from 15 goldmine "clusters" in a baseline survey undertaken in preparation for a separate tuberculosis isoniazid prophylaxis trial. All images were read for silicosis by a health professional experienced in using the International Labour Organisation (ILO) classification. Profusion thresholds of > 1/0 and > 1/1 were used. Demographic and occupational information was obtained by questionnaire. Predictors of silicosis were examined in a multivariable logistic regression model, including age, gender, racial ascription, country of origin, years since starting mine employment, mine shaft, skill category, underground work status and tuberculosis. RESULTS: The crude silicosis prevalence at ILO > 1/1 was 3.8% [95% confidence interval (CI) 3.5-4.1%]. The range across mine shafts was 0.8-6.9%. After adjustment for covariates, the interquartile range across shafts was reduced from 2.4 to 1.2%. Black miners [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.8; 95% CI 1.1-7.2] and miners in full-time underground work (aOR 2.1; 95% CI 1.3-3.4) had substantially elevated odds of silicosis, while workers from Mozambique had lower odds (aOR 0.54; 95% CI 0.38-0.77). Silicosis odds rose sharply with both age and years since starting in the industry (p for linear trend < 0.005), with 95.5% of affected miners having > 15 years since first exposure and 2.2% < 10 years. CONCLUSIONS: In surveillance of silicosis in working gold miners time since first exposure remains a powerful predictor. Age appears to be an independent predictor, while the detection of radiological silicosis in short-service miners requires attention. Public risk reporting by mines should include factors bearing on silicosis prevalence, specifically dust concentrations, with independent verification. Studies of silicosis and tuberculosis in ex-miners are needed, supported by an accessible electronic database of the relevant medical and dust exposure records of all gold miners.

Evaluation of a Health Literacy Instrument Designed for the Mining Industry.

BACKGROUND: Health literacy can manifest as an outcome of health education and communication, and it has potential as an antecedent for changes in health-related attitudes, values, and behaviors. Effective communication is vital for the health and safety of mining industry workers, and the ability to accurately measure impact is a necessary advancement in evaluation practices. Higher-risk, production-driven industries require specialized instruments and data collection methods that are sensitive to the workplace environment and capable of generating comprehensive and representative data, with minimal impact on productivity. OBJECTIVE: This research investigated the validity, reliability, and utility of the Health Communication Questionnaire (HCQ), a new instrument for measuring interactive and critical health literacy within the mining industry. METHODS: The applied research methodology included HCQ readability assessment, content validity indexing, substantive validity analysis, and reliability appraisal via a test-retest procedure with regression analysis and Bland-Altman plots to evaluate intra-subject agreement. KEY RESULTS: The results demonstrate content validity, exceeding minimum target values after evidence-based refinement of the instrument via substantive validity analysis. Readability targets were met, and reliability outcomes verify that the HCQ is consistent across two time points when tested under true work conditions. CONCLUSION: This study determined the validity, reliability, and utility of the HCQ as an interactive and critical health literacy data collection instrument and an evidence-based solution to concerns regarding absent or highly variable evaluation of Occupational Health and Safety communication practices within the mining industry. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2020;4(2):e84-e93.] PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: This study sought to develop and evaluate a survey instrument capable of determining health literacy indicators within the complex environment of mining industry work sites. Outcomes of this research demonstrate the Health Communication Questionnaire accurately and consistently measures two forms of health literacy and is suitable for use within the mining industry.

A Review of Radon Equilibrium Factors in Underground Mines, Caves, and Thermal Spas.

Radon equilibrium factor Feq is an important factor in radon progeny dose assessment. A review of published measurements of Feq shows a range of values from 0.1 to 1.0 reported in studies from more than 26 countries measured in 173 underground mines, and 136 show caves, tourist mines, and thermal spas. The average values of Feq are 0.38 in underground mines and 0.39 for show caves, tourist mines, and thermal spas. The wide range of Feq in those special workplaces suggests that location-, environment-, and operation-specific values are more appropriate than a recommended average value in the calculation of lung bronchial dose. This is especially important in mines or other typically high radon exposure locations because Feq can be used for recording an individual's occupational radon exposure or dose.