The impact of artisanal mining on rehabilitation efforts of abandoned mine shafts in Sutherland goldfield, South Africa.

Abandoned gold mine sites are generally characterised by severe environmental problems and physical hazards. Because of socio-economic problems confronting communities around abandoned mine sites, historic and abandoned gold mines have become hot-spots for artisanal and small-scale miners. These mining activities at times thwart the efforts of rehabilitation at these sites. This article details how artisanal mining operations have frustrated rehabilitation efforts of abandoned mine shafts in the Sutherland goldfield. The field investigation of abandoned shafts and analysis of the nature of artisanal mining operations in the Sutherland goldfield revealed that artisanal mining involving digging around collars of sealed shafts is a major threat to the stability of the shafts and their sealing structures. In addition, artisanal mining operations have increased the safety risks of the abandoned shafts in the area. This has also been worsened by the fact that a large number of people, especially women and children, are exposed to the hazards of the abandoned mine sites. This article emphasises an urgent need for the development of holistic and cohesive strategies for dealing with the problems of abandoned gold mine shafts wherever they exist in the country as opposed to simply closing them up.

Potential implications of mine dusts on human health: A case study of Mukula Mine, Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Objective : The purpose of this study was to estimate the levels of Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) in ambient air within Mukula mine and the potential risks to mineworkers and inhabitants of the adjoining Mukula community's health. Methods : An SPM was used to measure the levels of particulate matter (PM10) in and around the mining site. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to determine significance level of PM10 in ambient air. Results : Suspended particulate matter in the air ranged from 60.25 to 1820.45 µg/m(3). The lowest value of SPM was more than four times the required World Health Organisation's allowable level in ambient air, which the mine workers and locals would be inhaling. Conclusion : Continuous inhalation of mine dusts by mine workers and locals could result in pulmonary fibrosis, silicosis and lung cancer. The findings from this study support the need to have in place the necessary control measures that will drastically reduce SPM in the air. Such measure includes wet drilling and blasting, sprinkling of water on the mine roads and planting of vegetation around the mines and neighbouring communities.