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An unlicensed miner is digging a new pit to extract ore containing gold, to be sold and processed in artisanal sites near Dareta village, Zamfara State, Nigeria. On October 28, 2011, in this very same mining site, four workers died buried under the ground when a pit suddenly collapsed. The lead contamination is caused by ingestion and breathing of lead particles released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities.
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Lead Poisoning and Artisanal Gold Mining in Zamfara
An unlicensed miner is digging a new pit to extract ore containing gold, to be sold and processed in artisanal sites near Dareta village, Zamfara State, Nigeria. On October 28, 2011, in this very same mining site, four workers died buried under the ground when a pit suddenly collapsed. The lead contamination is caused by ingestion and breathing of lead particles released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities.