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Mining major source of toxic waste, says minister
2008-03-19 09:30:39
By Lusekelo Philemon
The mining sector has been singled out as the main cause of rampant spread of hazardous chemical substances.
However, the government has vowed to tighten its control mechanisms in all outlets so as to curb the problem.
Launching the newly established Chemical Emergence Response Committee in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Minister for Health and Social Welfare David Mwakyusa said the mining sector took the lead in toxic chemical emission, which was unfriendly to human health.
He said high demand of those chemicals by the mining industry had largely contributed to the widespread discharge of toxic waste in Tanzania.
``Currently, we are experiencing an increasing number of investors in the mining sector that has largely contributed to the wide spread of dangerous chemicals,`` Prof. Mwakyusa said in a speech read on his behalf by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Wilson Mkama.
Chemicals that are widely used in mining are mercury, sodium cyanide, lead, potassium, ammonium nitrate and phosphorus.
Sodium cyanide is extensively used in gold mines, whereas polyacrylamide (pam) is used by the miners in waste water treatment applications.
Other chemicals include activated carbons, flotation reagents like xanthates, fatty acids, solvent extractants and iron exchange resins like phosphate and versatic acid.
Depending on the type of activity, water from the mining areas poses health risks to humans living in the nearby communities.
``Some chemicals used in extraction of minerals have direct impact on miners and long-term negative effects on the populace living nearby,`` he said.
The minister also singled out the industrial sector as another area that had contributed to the widespread emission of chemical waste.
``A variety of chemicals used in industrial processes also poses health risks,`` he said.
Citing examples, Prof. Mwakyusa said in 2002, a truck that was transporting insecticides in Iringa overturned and its contents spread over into rivers.
It is yet to be established how many people were affected. In Dar es Salaam, the minister said a consignment of nitric acid that was not properly stored leaked at the port, causing environmental hazards.
``The government is taking all measures to mitigate those risks, including the establishment of this kind of a committee,`` he said, adding that the team would ensure that people responsible for importing and transporting chemicals met all required standards.
In an interview, the ministry`s Permanent Secretary said the government was very much aware of the rampant spread of toxic waste.
Mkama said the government, in collaboration with other stakeholders, would put in place some mechanisms to control chemical waste.
Mkama also said that chemicals played an important role in technological and economic growth but if uncontrolled, had negative impact on human health.
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