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Ann. occup. Hyg., Vol. 47, No. 3, pp. 235-240, 2003
© 2003 British Occupational Hygiene Society
Published by Oxford University Press

Dust Exposure During Small-scale Mining in Tanzania: A Pilot Study

MAGNE BRÅTVEIT1,*, BENTE E. MOEN1, YOHANA J. S. MASHALLA2 and HATUA MAALIM3

1 Section for Occupational Medicine, Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care, University of Bergen, Ulriksdal 8c, N-5009 Bergen, Norway; 2 Department of Physiology, Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences, PO Box 65316, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; 3 Work and Health, PO Box 11242, Arusha, Tanzania

Received 1 July 2002; in final form 2 September 2002

Small-scale mining in developing countries is generally labour-intensive and carried out with low levels of mechanization. In the Mererani area in the northern part of Tanzania, there are about 15 000 underground miners who are constantly subjected to a poor working environment. Gemstones are found at depths down to 500 m. The objectives of this pilot study were to monitor the exposure to dust during work processes, which are typical of small-scale mining in developing countries, and to make a rough estimation of whether there is a risk of chronic pulmonary diseases for the workers.  Personal sampling of respirable dust (n = 15) and ‘total’ dust (n = 5) was carried out during three consecutive days in one mine, which had a total of 50 workers in two shifts. Sampling started immediately before the miners entered the shaft, and lasted until they reappeared at the mine entrance after 5–8 h. The median crystalline silica content and the combustible content of the respirable dust samples were 14.2 and 5.5%, respectively. When drilling, blasting and shovelling were carried out, the exposure measurements showed high median levels of respirable dust (15.5 mg/m3), respirable crystalline silica (2.4 mg/m3), respirable combustible dust (1.5 mg/m3) and ‘total’ dust (28.4 mg/m3). When only shovelling and loading of sacks took place, the median exposures to respirable dust and respirable crystalline silica were 4.3 and 1.1 mg/m3.  This study shows that the exposure to respirable crystalline silica was high during underground small-scale mining. In the absence of personal protective equipment, the miners in the Mererani area are presumably at a high risk of developing chronic silicosis.

Keywords: crystalline silica; quartz; mining; developing country; Tanzania


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