Janet Ogundepo
Several dangers have been associated with living around dump sites, however, one which is raising concern is the risk of having children with reduced intelligence quotient and short-term memory issues.
According to the experts who raised the concern, exposure to radioactive materials in such areas increases the likelihood of coming down with ailments like hearing loss, kidney-related problems and lead poisoning among children.
In separate interviews with PUNCH Healthwise, the physicians advocated an end to illegal mining in the country.
An Australian-based health blog, One Central Health, noted that the intelligence quotient measures a person’s
The United Nations Children’s Fund in a 2017 report stated that 80 per cent of children’s IQ was obtained from the environment, adding that children in polluted and crisis-prone environments “will not be intelligent no matter the gene of their parents.”
PUNCH Healthwise recently reported about an emergency meeting convened by the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Jide Idris to investigate and control the spread of an unknown illness in Sokoto and Zamfara states.
According to the NCDC, 196 suspected cases of the unknown illness with seven deaths in six wards in Sokoto State were recorded with initial clinical assessments and investigations at the Uthman Dan Fodio University Teaching Hospital in Sokoto State, ruling out an infectious cause.
The NCDC DG stated that the results of the initial test for heavy metals for the index and the first few suspected cases revealed different blood levels of lead and chromium.
He added that observed activities in the affected communities include mining, agricultural practices that involve the use of various types of chemicals and pesticides, health-seeking behaviour, and practices of the communities which may be detrimental to people’s health.
“This also contributes to the deposition and build-up in soils. Heavy metals can also contaminate water sources and get into plants if they persist in the soil. Exposure to heavy metals either through the air (dust), soil, plants, or water is associated with kidney, brain, liver, and bone damage including cancers of the body depending on the type of heavy metals.
“Persons most at risk or vulnerable include pregnant women (unborn babies), infants and children, illegal/artisanal miners, industrial workers, etc. Some of the effects of heavy metals are immediate while many will take a long time to manifest,” Idris said.
The NCDC explained that heavy metals including cadmium, chromium, lead, and mercury are emitted mainly into the air due to various industrial activities, including mining especially where there is poor regulation.
Illegal mining, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, involves activities conducted by individuals, entities, or groups without adherence to relevant laws or regulations governing such operations.
The UNODC noted that it includes operations conducted in prohibited areas or employing prohibited equipment, devices, or chemicals.
The UN agency further noted that illegal mining and trafficking in precious metals impact negatively on peace, stability, security, environment and the economy.
Recently, the President, Bola Tinubu, noted that terrorists used the proceeds of illegal mining to fund their activities.
While these activities deprive the country of peace, they also deprive the country 91 per cent of the revenue the mining sector ought to generate for the country as asserted by the speaker of the Economic Community of West African States Parliament, Mohamed Tunis, in February.
Recall that illegal miners storing explosive devices in the residential area of Adeyi Avenue, Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State, caused an explosion resulting in five fatalities, 77 injuries, and the destruction of 58 houses.
Lending his voice to the matter, a Senior Lecturer and Consultant Public Health Physician at the Department of Community Medicine, Bayero University and Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano State, Dr Rabiu Jalo, said residents around illegal mining sites are at a higher risk of lead poisoning, which is one of the leading causes of intellectual disability in children.
He noted that such residents are exposed to radioactive materials and heavy metals, which collectively contribute to approximately 0.6 per cent of the global burden of diseases occurring annually.
“The defects are multi-faceted and affect several parts of the body system. One, it affects the Central Nervous System, which appears to be the chief target, especially in children. It can affect their intelligence quotient, intellect growth, short-term memory and hearing loss in some instances.
“Secondly, it affects the blood system, which for instance
“Unfortunately, lead, which is called cumulative poisoning, tends to have a lot of effects on humans. It can be obtained via ingestion, inhalation and skin contact. The majority of heavy metals including lead affect the kidney,” the physician said.
He noted that Zamfara State, in 2010, recorded the first case of lead poisoning caused by illegal mining during an outbreak of anaemia and kidney dysfunction in children who were used on the fields for mining.
The public health expert also stated that male and female residents around illegal mining sites were at risk of infertility, while pregnant women could experience preterm delivery, abortion and damage to the foetus.
Speaking on the way forward, Jalo called for sustainable public health campaign programmes to sensitise residents to the health risks associated with illegal mining.
He urged the government to improve surveillance to curb the activities of illegal miners and the remediation of contaminated environments.
The medical doctor also advocated for the treatment of affected individuals and legislation regarding safe mining to ensure occupational safety and hygiene in all mining sites.
Also, a public health physician at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Dr Ekaete Tobin, called for intensified efforts to curb illegal mining activities and implement measures for the gradual restoration and rehabilitation of affected areas.
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