THE PREVALENCE OF LEAD POISONING

There is need to regulate artisanal mining practices

Rich in mineral deposits including gold, Zamfara State first recorded a major lead poisoning epidemic in 2010 in Anka and Bukkuyum Local Government Areas, killing about 400 inhabitants, mainly children. A significant number of the children died within a short period, highlighting the severity of the infection. The poisoning was linked to unsafe artisanal gold mining practices, where gold ore with high lead content was processed in residential areas. Another lead poisoning epidemic seven years later in Yar-Galma village also killed many children, most of them under five years old. The contamination occurred through soil and dust exposure, with children being particularly affected due significantly to hand-to-mouth behaviour and accidental ingestion of contaminated objects.

Despite the ban on illegal mining, the practice is still booming, leading to another outbreak of lead poisoning in Bungudu local government area of the state. Like previous tragedies, the recent incident was traced to unsafe artisanal gold mining practices which led to environmental contamination and the poisoning of hundreds of residents. Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, had warned that mining activities remain on hold until the release of standard operating procedures, but the people are too desperate to care.

 Artisanal mining is a poverty-driven activity that is widespread in many communities across the country as an important source of income. Indeed, many have transformed their villages into processing sites for all kinds of minerals including heavy metals that are associated with poisoning of humans – lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium. In a bid to separate the gold, the villagers grind the rocks, resulting in dust containing high levels of lead to settle on soil and other nearby surfaces, and in the process exposing the locals to the poison. Besides, many of the miners are themselves carriers of death. Some of them took home their dusty clothes and shoes contaminated with lead, which their innocent children inhaled to their peril.

Therefore, the menace of lead poisoning due principally to the activities of illegal miners is commonplace. Some recent “mysteries” leading to the death of 164 children in Sokoto State were traced to metal poisoning. A decade ago, no fewer than 28 children died after suffering symptoms of convulsions, insomnia and hallucinations in Kawo and Magiro, two remote villages in Niger State. Doctors without Borders (MSF) later discovered that the children died due to extremely high levels of lead in their bodies. Simba Tirima, an environmental scientist, noted that the outbreak resulted from unregulated rudimentary processing of lead-rich gold ores in the villages. 

 Lead is colourless, odourless and tasteless, making it an insidious killer. Besides death, the short-term effects of lead poisoning include acute fever, convulsion, loss of consciousness and blindness, while the long-term effects include anaemia, renal failure and brain damage in children, who are often the main victims. Some of them are left with severe handicaps in form of paralysis while others are afflicted with severe mental retardation and other health disorders.

Over the years, however, some interventions have largely reduced deaths from lead poisoning. The government and other international organisations have implemented measures to clean contaminated soil and water sources in the affected communities. Organisations like Doctors Without Borders (MSF) played a major role in providing medical care, conducting assessments, and assisting with environmental remediation. But as some recent outbreaks have shown, there are still challenges in preventing future incidents. 

 There is therefore need to regulate artisanal mining practices, and ensure safer methods are employed. Traditional institutions and local authorities have a responsibility to ensure that government directives are obeyed. The recent approval for the deployment of satellite technology to monitor mining sites nationwide will help in containing illegal mining practices. Communities must be stopped from digging their own graves.