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| February 27, 2001 | atimes.com | ||
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China
Mercury pollution threatens Mongolian community By Lucy Collins ULAN BATOR - When Dr Tumenbayar, a partner in the Mongolian-British mining venture went to Selenge county three years ago, he was hoping to find a gold-rich area the company could tap for its business. Tumenbayar, of the Mongolian-British mining venture Eco-Minex International Co Ltd (EMI), found what he was looking for - as well as a valley practically soaked in mercury, and a community that had no idea of the kind of danger it was living with. Even today, the people there are oblivious to the health risks posed by the toxic substance found not only in the Boroo River and other parts of Bor Nuur district in Selenge, but is also being mined illegally by local residents. Selenge is about 120 kilometers north of the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator. The mercury is there due to nearly a century of activity by the Boroo Gold Recovery factory by the Boroo river. Workers of the factory, set up in 1913, have been bringing the gold ore to the riverbank to crush it, an activity that has led to the present man-made mercury deposit in the area. They used mercury to create an amalgam to catch the gold in sluices, but the primitive method they employed meant that large volumes of mercury were lost to the river. The factory closed down in 1956 when its "mercury store" exploded. The blast, however, released even more amounts of mercury into the factory's foundations, the river terrace, and into the river sediments. Today, there are at least 10 tons of mercury in the Boroo River. Whenever its level rises and the river overflows, water contaminates the surrounding land with mercury, and takes the poisonous substance downstream as a tributary of the Selenge- Orkhon River, which feeds Lake Baikal in Siberia. Mercury is a neurotoxin, and repeated exposure to it gradually debilitates the nervous system, and causes tremors, chronic fatigue and kidney failure. It also leads to gingivitis, tunnel vision and memory loss, as well as exaggerated emotional responses and irritability, among other symptoms. Mercury biocumulates and biomagnifies, which means that it becomes more concentrated as it travels up the food chain. But all these are apparently lost to the people of Bor Nuur, many of whom pan for mercury in the river during the summer months. They have also dug a maze of tunnels beneath the old factory in order to mine more of the metallic substance. Bor Nuur used to be a prosperous farming community and residents there at the time paid little attention to the mercury. With the demise of the socialist system in the last decade, however, farming went on a decline and many people became unemployed. These days, at least 300 people in Bor Nuur, including women and children, are believed to be active in the illegal "cottage industry" of mercury mining. The main health risks they face come from their handling of the substance with bare hands, and their keeping of containers of mercury on their person so that these are not stolen. They also camp out for months on grounds containing mercury deposits. The mercury is itself not so valuable. But it happens to be an essential part of an illegal gold trade thriving in Selenge county. The mercury is carried by pack horses to three villages, where it is sold in special shops catering to another 300 or more locals who illegally mine hard-rock gold in nearby hills. EMI general-director Robin Grayson says using mercury to extract hard rock gold is "quick, cheap - and extremely dangerous". The gold ore is usually brought to the villages, where it is crushed into fine powder. After mixing water to the powder, mercury is added in large amounts to catch the gold in a mercury- gold amalgam. Unfortunately, this is done next to the village wells. Dr Tumenbayar says the ground near the wells, and the water itself, may be heavily contaminated by mercury as a result. But that is only half the problem. The miners also take the amalgam inside their homes, where it is heated on a stove to drive off the mercury. The gold is then left. But as a result, mercury vapor becomes highly concentrated in the miners' homes. Tumenbayar says that it is difficult to make contact with the miners, who are aware that what they are doing is illegal. But outsiders who have come to know about the conditions there have raised concerns about the miners' health. They also want a mercury specialist to visit the area, since local doctors do not understand the effects of mercury on people. Meanwhile, hair samples taken by EMI personnel from local miners show high levels of heavy metals in their bodies. EMI now intends to compare these with accepted world levels. The company, which so far is mining only tantalite, an essential component in mobile telephones, believes that much of the mercury in Bor Nuur is being converted into soluble methyl mercury by microbial action in the waterlogged soil. This substance is even more toxic than mercury itself, and easily absorbed in the food chain and the skin. Normally, mercury occurs in nature as a trace element, measuring well under one part per million in soil. EMI's tests in the Boroo River area show mercury occurrence there to be hundreds of times higher. EMI says it needs at least US$10,000 to perform more tests, including taking more samples not only from people's hair, but also from crops, grass and the soil. The results can then be used to figure out just how widespread mercury contamination is, and how to address this. Experts worry that aside from the people of Bor Nuur, wildlife may also be at risk, such as the "taimen", the huge salmon unique to Central Asia which can be found in the Boroo River. Fish-eating birds such as the osprey and the white-tailed sea eagle, which is listed in the Mongolia Red Book of Endangered Species, are also thought to be in danger. EMI's Grayson is appealing to the international donor community to create substantial jobs for the Bor Nuur people. His company is also pushing for the Boroo Gold Project, an Australian mining venture about to operate near the affected area, to help the people instead of discriminating against them. Papers connected with the project suggest that those found with mercury poisoning will not find employment in the venture. But Grayson says this will only encourage the people to carry on with their illegal - and unsafe - activities. "The Boroo Gold Project is profitable and good for Mongolia," he says. "They should spend a tiny fraction on defining and cleaning up the problem. There is no obligation to Boroo Gold, but it's a social offset," he adds. (Inter Press Service) |
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