Health Status of People Living near Mahd AdDahab Gold Mine in Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example

Module Health Status of People Living near Mahd Ad’Dahab Gold Mine in Saudi Arabia BACKGROUND Commercial mining in Mahd Ad’Dahab, situated nearly 300km northeast of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, began in 1988 alongside the instigation of a research program to carry out a detailed survey of the area to determine which sections of the region had mineral deposits (Gold and Base, 2012). According to The mineral life span was boosted by the doubling of the initial mineral reserves. This was preceded by the successful results courtesy of the constantly increasing mining efforts which eventually led to lower costs per unit capital (Gold and Base, 2012). This research paper focuses on evaluating the health status of the people living near gold mines as a result of the mining activities in Mahd Ad-Dahab, Saudi Arabia. Problem Statement. Mining activities have always bore fruits; either bad or good. Many associate mining activities with financial improvements, development of infrastructure and improved living standards among others. However, few people associate mining activities with health issues of the people around the mining region. According to Armah, Obiri, Yawson, Pappoe, and Akoto, mining involves activities that affect the environment and as a result pose a health threat to those within and without the mining fields (4). Many mining companies rarely comply with sustainable mining activities as the measures to be taken in most cases are usually costly (Al-Farraj and Al-Wabel 91-93). A lot needs to be done principally by the mining companies to ensure that the health and safety of those living near mining fields is guaranteed or rather addressed. LITERATURE REVIEW A study conducted by The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a federal agency responsible for carrying out research and providing suitable recommendations for preventing injuries and illnesses related to work places, on underground gold miners between 1945-1965 examined death of populations around gold mines as a result of kidney diseases, lung cancer, immune system diseases and tuberculosis (Jarup, 2003). Another study was conducted by NIOSH in the same period (1945-1965) on underground gold workers who had end-stage renal disease, one of the most dangerous kidney disease types. According to Jarup (2003), the studies conducted in each case involved two samples: one study investigated the general causes of the death and the second investigated death caused by silicosis. Study Objectives. The key objectives of this study is to evaluate the health status of people who live near gold mines in Saudi Arabia (Mahad Ad’dahab) and compare it with the health status of a control group. Research Methodology. The health effects of gold were studied among inhabitants of Mahad Ad’dahab. A control group comprised people living in a distant region that is not in a mining neighborhood but has the same lifestyle, demographic, economical and geological distinctiveness as Mahad Ad’dahab. Stratification of the case and the control was based on age and sex. The sample age and sex were of equal percentage. The control group had similar numbers of subjects in each subgroup samples as the case group. The study population’s inclusion criteria include: subjects had not experienced life at a gold mining site and are 15yrs and above. Sample size = 250 (case and control group) Sampling Method The study employed random selection (randomization). Data Collection. Information on predominance of diseases, symptoms and health concerns was collected using a questionnaire via an interview done door-to-door by public health nurses. From the questionnaire, information on demography, education, way of life, professional history together with the diseases of family members of the individual was collected. The evaluation of symptoms included respiratory, eye irritation, sensory, digestive and neurological. Complaint levels for the above symptoms were measured using a scale: 3- Very frequently 2- Frequently 1-Never. Evaluation . Evaluation of the impacts of health includes a study involving symptoms felt by the subjects and evaluation of their health issues in relation to Gold mining activities. Analysis. The development of the study was based on the declaration of Helsinki (World Medical, 2004). Prior to the study, a host of meetings were held with health professionals, authorities and the general community to inform them of the objectives of the study in order to have a written consent to conduct the study. The control group showed no symptoms of respiratory, eye irritation, sensory, digestive and neurological difficulties. On the other hand, the case group comprising the miners and those living in the vicinity showed different symptoms. Owing to the dust produced during mining activities, Ketata and Husain (2008) affirm that many of the miners were developing respiratory problems. In addition, the mining process involves blasting and use of modern explosions which had a hearing effect on the miners. Mercury is used in the gold amalgamation process, and, as a result, gases containing mercury are emitted into the environment (Al-Farraj, Al-Otabi, and Al-Wabel 459-454). Heightened contact with mercury may result in damage to the lung (Al-Farraj, Al-Wabel, Al-Shahrani, El-Maghraby, and Al-Sewailem 327). Some of the subjects in Mahad Ad’dahab showed some changes in personality, others showed anxiety, another group was restless, depressed and another had trouble sleeping. According to Mayan, Gomes, Henriques, Silva, and Begonha, these form a combination of psychological and neurological symptoms for chronic poisoning (38). The population around the mining site also showed some characteristics that suggested damage to the nervous system. A group of the subjects experienced numbness in their hands and their feet. According to Essumang, Dodoo, Obiri, and Yaney (378), this may be as a result of mercury contamination in the nearby water bodies used by the community. Continued exposure to acute mercury may result in concentric constriction and difficulties in coordination activities alongside hearing symptoms (Neuberger and Mulhall, 1990). The population living near Mahad Ad’dahab mining site faces less health dangers from methyl mercury apart from the group heavily consuming fish (Przyjazny and Namiesnik, 2006; Weiss, Clarkson, and Simon, 2002). Consumption of water or food contaminated with mercury does not only affect adults but also can pass its adverse effects to the fetus. Consequently, pregnant women are advised to consume less of given types of fish, for instance, tuna, shark and swordfish. In addition, they should not consume fish from polluted fresh water bodies since the fish feed on contaminated substances, including tiny water plants (Al-Farraj and Al-Wabel, 2007). On the other hand, Langworth, Bjorkman, Elinder, Jarup and Savlin (2002) assert that the use of dental amalgams continues but concerns have been raised regarding their safety as claims are that they cause a number of diseases but no study has been proposed in favor of this argument. Works Cited Al-Farraj, A. S. & Al-Wabel, M. I. Evaluation of soil pollution around Mahad AD’Dahab Mine. Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences. 6 (2), 2007. Print. Al-Farraj, A. S. & Al-Wabel, M. I. Heavy metals accumulation of some plant species grown on mining area at Mahad AD’Dahab, Saudi Arabia. Journal of Applied Sciences. 7 (8), 2007. Print. Al-Farraj, A. S., Al-Otabi T. G. and Al-Wabel. M. I. Accumulation coefficient and translocation factor of heavy metals through Ochradenus baccatus plant grown on mining area at Mahad AD'Dahab, Saudi Arabia, WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment, Vol. 122, 2010. Print. Al-Farraj, A. S., Al-Wabel, M. I., Al-Shahrani, T. S., El-Maghraby, S. E., & Al-Sewailem, M.A. Accumulation Coefficient and Translocation Factor of Heavy Metals through Rhazya Stricta Grown in the Mining Area of Mahad AD'Dahab, Saudi Arabia WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment 140, 2009. Print. Armah, F. A., Obiri, S., Yawson, D. O., Pappoe, A. M, Akoto, B. Mining and heavy metal pollution: assessment of aquatic environments of Tarkwa, Ghana using multivariate statistical analysis. Journal of Environmental Statistics 1(4), 2010. Print. Essumang, D. K., Dodoo, D. K., Obiri, S., Yaney, J. Y. Arsenic, Cadmium, and Mercury in Cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagititolium) and Watercocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) in Tarkwa, a Mining Community. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 79. 2007. Print. Gold & Base Metals. Ma’aden. 2012. Web. Retrieved Oct. 30, 2012. Jarup, L. Hazards of heavy metal contamination. Br Med Bull. 2003. 68. Print. Ketata, C. & Husain, T. Evaluation of spill pollution inside and around Mahd Ad’dahab mine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada. Submitted to Saudi Arabian Mining Company. 2008. Print. Langworth, S., Bjorkman, L., Elinder, C. G., Jarup, L. & Savlin, P. Multidisciplinary examination of patients with illness attributed to dental fillings. J Oral Rehabil, 29, 2002. Print. Mayan, O. N, Gomes, M. J., Henriques, A., Silva, S., Begonha, A. Health survey among people living near an abandoned mine. A case study: Jales mine, Portugal. Environ Monit Assess 2006. Print. Neuberger, J. S. & Mulhall, M. Health problems in Galena, Kansas: A heavy metal mining Superfund site. Science of The Total Environment 94(3), 1990. Print. Przyjazny, A. & Namiesnik, J. Chemometrics in monitoring spatial and temporal variations in drinking water quality. Water Research, 8. 2006. Print. Weiss, B., Clarkson, T. W. & Simon, W. Silent latency periods in methylmercury poisoning and in neurodegenerative disease. Environ Health Perspect, 2002. Print. World Medical Association. ‘Declaration of Helsinki: Ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects’, J. Int. Bioethique, 15(1), 2004. Print. Read More