Cancer causing mine dumps in Krugersdorp, South Africa, part 2

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This article is a follow up from a previous article.

Living in Krugersdorp, South Africa, I have noticed that people around me tend to fall ill rather quickly, and more people around me have cancer of some form, than at any place I have lived in and I have lived in about 12 towns/ cities. I always noticed this, but it wasn’t until a presentation I listened to in my Honours class that I put two and two together. The presentation was on the old mine dumps, or tailing piles in and around Johannesburg, and the metals and chemicals they contain. This presentation lead me to do a bit more research on the topic, and my eyes were opened to the severity of the problem that residents of Johannesburg, especially those who live in informal settlements adjacent to these mine dumps, face. I was even more shocked to find that some people use these mine dumps for recreational purposes!

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Just a disclaimer, I have not physically studied these mine dumps and their effects on the health of those who live around them, this is just pure observation, backed up by other studies and articles.

Gold mining has been the back bone of the South African economy since the early 1900s. In the 1960s, leading into the early 1990s, gold mining resulted in the South African economy to be one of the strongest in the world. It was the largest producer of gold during most of this period. South Africa has the largest gold deposit in the world, known as the Witwatersrand basin, housed in sedimentary rocks known as conglomerates. South Africa has pioneered many mechanised mining techniques and methods due to the intense mining that took place during this period. Not only is South Africa famous for its gold mining, but it’s also famous for its platinum, vanadium, REE’s, iron, coal, chromium, manganese, diamonds etc. South Africa suffers from paradox commonly referred to by geologists as the mineral resource curse. This means that the countries with the most natural wealth are the most impoverished and war ridden, turmoil stricken countries on the planet. Okay, we are not quite in the same boat as Rwanda and Sudan in terms of war, but our economy is not where it should be. In addition to economic problems, there are quite a few downsides of providing the world with mineral resources. This case is presented below:

In a study that was carried out in Krugersdorp by Ngole-Jeme in association with the National Research Foundation (NRF), (2017), the ecological and human health risks associated with exposure to metals and metalloids in mine dumps and the surrounding contaminated soil were examined. Shocking results were revealed in this study. Concentrations of arsenic, cobalt and nickel were found to be elevated the most, however, concentrations of cadmium, copper, lead, and manganese were also found. Using the Chronic Hazard Index (CHI), the Hazzard Quotient (HQ) and carcinogenic risk levels indices, the values for metals and metalloids were tested to see their potential risk to humans. According to the indices, if HQ is bigger than 1 and the CHI is bigger than 1 and carcinogenic risk values bigger than 1×10−4 (or 0.0001), then it has a potential risk on humans. This study found that values for HQ indicated high exposure-related risk for arsenic (53.7), chromium (14.8), nickel (2.2), zinc (2.64) and manganese (1.67). Risks related to cancer, associated with metal and metalloid exposure were higher among children than adults, where the value for arsenic was at 3×10−2 (0.03) and 4×10−2 (0.04) for children and the values for both arsenic and nickel were and at 5×10−3 (0.005). This study concludes that children were at higher risk than adults of being affected by the risky elements. It also concluded that there is significant ecological and human health risk associated with exposure to the soils that contain these metals and metalloids.

Not only are these metals and metalloids present, but the good old uranium is also present. The gold that was, and is mined, is also associated with uranium. A lot of uranium is still present in the tailings, and according to Coetzee et al., (2002), conditions downstream of mines have led to the development of wetland systems, which have been shown to concentrate heavy metals including uranium and uranium series radionuclides from water discharged by mining operations. Hamman, a researcher at the North-West University, in an article in the Mail and Guardian is cited for his research on the topic. He studied the uranium levels in the kidneys of cattle that drink water associated to the mine dumps, and it was found that the uranium levels were 4350 time higher than cattle found elsewhere. He also concluded that heavy metals are more prominent in the vegetables and fruit that are grown in the area when compared to elsewhere.

Not everyone is and will be affected by this problem. Some are more prone than others. Immune system strength, HIV status, age, etc. also come into play. Those most affected by the problem are those who live immediately around the mine dumps. The particles of dust emitted from these dumps, however, can be blown in the air, and contaminate soil, the soil that is used to grow food.

Part 3 will include remediation efforts and what the government's take on the issue is.