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Midlands Correspondent
Women in the small-scale gold mining sector have urged Government to find a sustainable replacement for mercury, amid revelations that a large number of children of schoolgoing age and women of child-bearing age already have elevated levels of mercury in their bodies.

The call came at a time when the Environmental Management Agency is engaging small scale miners in the Midlands province to raise awareness on the impact of mercury use and contamination.

Shurugwi Women in Mining secretary Nomalanga Dube said there was need for experts to urgently come up with a replacement for mercury as the continued use of the chemical was putting their lives in danger.

“Mercury use is more threatening for us women and children,” she said. “However, the quest for survival is making us vulnerable. Mining is our main source of livelihood and we cannot stop. The Government should introduce greener technologies for us.”

Studies on the Environmental and Human Health Assessments identified gold stamp milling centres as the main centres of mercury pollution, as the chemical was found in the air, sediments and soil, with the largest concentration being in the air.

A recent study revealed that 70 percent of the miners were also found with elevated mercury levels in their bodies.

High levels of mercury were found in breast milk in the Kadoma and Chakari area.

About 69 percent of children working with mercury, and 33 percent not working with mercury had chronic mercury intoxication.

The effect of exposure to mercury are quite often toxic and irreversible, with the greatest risk being in young children.

Mercury is being used by an estimated 1,5 million small scale miners.

More than 50 tonnes of mercury are being used annually in gold processing and presumably producing up to 20 tonnes of gold per year.