Heavy Metals & Chemicals and Indigenous People Madang

8/3/2019 Heavy Metals & Chemicals and Indigenous People Madang

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Social & EnvironmentalImpact Studies

Partnership Meeting

August 22-23 2007

Madang Resort Hotel Conference


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Inter-related and complex

Social

EnvironmentalHealthEnvironment


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Few Examples

Social: local village. Water/foodgathering time changes, populationmovement, law and order, economy

Environment: ecosystems, fauna & floraair, noise, environmental refugee

Environmental Health: numerous, slow

and sustained effects/hazards Chemical or Heavy metal Pollution.


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Whats in for Madang?

Extractable Industries: some already here

Who are at risk: PEOPLE Resource owners, tailings river people,

Island people Special ecosystems: Leatherback Turtle Lagoon,

Madang Lagoon, River food systems/scarce food reduction/nutritional

problems. Etc

Major Development Plans are Challenged.. Goal,Nambawan Madang, Infrastructure etc


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Heavy Metal Poisoning ofthe Indigenous People

Dr Sylvester Kotapu

& Associates

Australia


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ACKNOWLEGDEMENT:

The following Organizations and individuals are acknowledged:Central Province Health Manager: Mr M. UaizProvincial Disease Control Officer. Mr Pana Rim

Central Provincial Administration staff.

Department of Mines Konedobu Librarian.PMGH Pathology staff.PIH Pathology staff.

The Veifaa Students and StaffCommunity members of:

Fuyuge,Kuni,

Mekeo,

Roro andAipinaipi.

Xavier Ropa of NRAMathew Waina of Aiya Securities.

Pathology Staff in Australia.

.


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Study In response to:Mystery deaths/illness

Suspicion of Chemical poisoning.

TGM staff warning

Sinister behavior of frequentchemical spillages. (anomaliessuggestive of OH&S and RiskManagement)

Recent Scientific EnvironmentalEvidence.

Advances in current Knowledge.


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This study in accordance with the current WHOguidelines aims to:

Hazard identification: heavy metals and their source.Investigate Exposure history or Assessmentclinicaland laboratory.

Document Risk and Health Impact Characterization

Provision of scientific evidence for Application in the

Risk and the Impact Management. Best environmentaland management practices must be responsive to thecurrent advances in heavy metal usage in gold minesin the wet tropics

That the Conclusion is a Stand Alone Reference!


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Papua New Guinea


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Maneuver technique a tradition!

: 1996 March in Philippines: Placer Domedoes not accept responsibility for the Mogpog

River spill, as it occurred during a typhoon,and argues the extensive contamination ofCalancan Bay was done in compliance withall relevant Filipino regulation. It also pointsout that there are no conclusive scientific

studies linking the mine waste in CalancanBay to the high levels of heavy metals

present in the bay and the illnesses inflictingitsinhabitants.


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t t


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nv ronmenta o ut on

Extreme pollution of EnvironmentA: PhysicalAngabanga River withsedimentation 160,000 tones/year; (1600m)

- Biologically Dead or Dying!B: Chemical Pollution.

Mcdonald/Oxfam 2004-2006 May study


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Chemical Pollution

Abundance of Heavy MetalsAuga-Angabanga River.Village/domesticwater wells- high chemical levels

People are Exposed.But levels and magnitude of problem cannever be known until


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MercuryExposure in PNG before 1991

Seaside Village (Dorogi) 0.4 ug/kg/day

Riverside Village 6km from coast

Inland community- 25Km from coast Lower Levels 1991

David Suzuki 1991


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Heavy Metals

Types: Mercury, Lead, arsenic +(35)

Sources:

A.1. Mining: ore/earths crust naturallyoccurring,

1.2. Precious metalextraction process. Cyanide/Mercury

1.3. Alluvial miner source isinsignificant/ mono

B. 2. Non Mining Related

2.1. Bio-accumulated Food Source.

2.2. Other industrial waste


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How Big Is The Chemical Problem as seen by the

World

Mt Isa Mining Town: Free Childhood testingprogram.

Unleaded products Petrol/paint Mega $ worth recall of toys mere presence of

single heavy metal. Dedicated medical service units. Minamata/Mercury Disease ->70yrs regarded

as the second Hiroshima Disaster.

H t i it


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Heavy metal toxicityCancer, neurotoxicity, nephrotoxicity,haemopoietic abnomalities, cardiotoxicity,

immunotoxocity, teratogenesis, genotoxicity-genes/chromosomal abnormalities,

Impair childhood learning process.

Cross generational barriers


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Mercury Toxicity

Crosses Blood-Brain Barrier- DirectPoison to Brain. Neurodegenerativediseases

Placental Transferable. Mother to unborn baby-

teratogenic!

United Nations Environmental Programme UNEP

:ChemicalsRegional Awareness Raising Workshop on Mercury Pollution. A global problem thatneeds to be addressed 2004 Thailand.


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Health ImpactConsequences on an

Individual.

Multiple Diseases

Prolonged illness

General immunity low

New Disease patterns; CVS CNS

Infertility

Early aging

Early Deaths

Birth Defects

Impair childhood learning

Consequence on the

Community:

Shortened mediansurvival,

low IQ, slow population growth,

reduced manpower:

Greater health cost:

individuals &Nat Economy Extinction threat to

isolated communities.


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Heavy Metal & Diseases


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ercury ea t mpact: one arrow


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ercury ea t mpact: one arrow

Cancer


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LINKING THE SOURCE:

No other industrial activities to explain theenvironmental abundance of heavy metals .

No adequate detoxifying tailing plant.

Frequent spillages inadequate riskmanagement.

Auga-Angabanga is the only known tailingdischarge river.

Oxfam study Declared & Documents thatTGM to be the source of the metals and

toxicants.Recent advances in knowledge..


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Alarming Results

See following medical laboratoryresults.


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Alarming trend

Human Blood Mercury Levels:

(0-60nmol/L)

0

50

100

150

200

250

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 1 5 17 1 9 21 23 25 27 2 9 31 33 3 5 37 39 41 4 3 45 47 4 9 51 53 5 5 57 5 9 61 6 3 65 67

Number of people

Mercurynmol/L


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Lead: Normal Range (0-14ug/dL)

Blood Lead Levels (0-14ug/dL)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Test number (n 74)

ug/dL


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Cyanide/thiocyanate:Alarming trend is demonstrated

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

(umol/L)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Test number

(number 10 out of scale:420!!)

Human Urine Thiocyanate Levels

(NR 11-46umol/L)


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Veifa,a Village heavy Metal Status

Veifa'a Village People Heavy Metal status

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Merucy Arsenic Cadmium LeadSerum Heavy Metals

Normal

High


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Cyanide/thiocyanatecont.Alarming trend is demonstratedThere are 60% in the toxicity range

A value of 420umol/L thiocyanatedemonstrates fatal exposure demanding

immediate treatment plan


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Gnagaifua Mercury in ChildrenFig: Gnagaifua Children and Mercury toxicity

Children


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Gnagaifua Village Mercury levels

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Norm al High

Gnagaifua Village Mercury Levels in Percentage


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Gnagaifua Village Mercury by Age.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Children


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Blood Mercury Levels

100% Mercury Prevalence

60% are in absolute toxicity state by 2-7

timesLevels of 209nmol/L (NR 0-60nmol/L) Allconsidered to been actively poisoned.


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Oriropetana Heavy Metal Status

Orioropetana Village People Heavy metal status

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Mer cur y Arsenic Cadmium Lead

Serum Heavy Metals

Normal

High


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Heavy metal status in Mekeo People

Blood Heavy Metal status in Mekeo People.

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Mer cur y Ar seni c Cadmi um Lead

Heavy Metals

Low

High


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Multiple Chemical Poisoning

MercuryThiocya

nate Lead

m 17.08.06 90 420 0.3 6

m 24.08.06 73

m 17.08.06 68 70 0.16 3

m 24.08.06 63

m 17.08.06 60 48 0.15 3

m 17.08.06 48 45 0.25 5

m 17.08.06 46 30 0.1 2

m 24.08.06 27

m 17.08.06 76 25 0.08 2

m 17.08.06 51 15 0.1 2

m 30.08.06 164 0.87 16


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Mercury Health impact: Cancer


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H D h i l t i t th


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How Do chemicals get into thenave Indigenous People?

Exposure

1. Ingestion- Drinking contaminatedfood/water.

2. Direct Skin Absorption- water basedlivelihood

3. Inhalationbreathing of metal-dust

particles

riverbanks, dry, windy

Exposed Doing Normal Village activities


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Exposure: Food gathering


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Fishing


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Gnanaifua Village


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AmoAmo Daily Routine


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Toxic levels


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Exposed doing normal Village livelihood activities!

Difficulties of proposing preventative measures tominimize exposure

The lax regulatory National laws/policy so far areinadequate, insufficient, ineffective to give any

assurance to preservation of indigenouscommunity/Environment health.

Only option is for appropriate actions at the initialstates/agreements/License/permits/MOA etc

Word standards- technical/monitoring capabilities.


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Conclusion

1. Dangerous Metals levels are confirmed.

2. Multiple Metal toxicity is evident.

3. On average 82% are innocent Children with mostdefinite adverse consequences- impaired learningguaranteed.

4. Short term and long term effects are diverse.

5. The mystery deaths/peculiar illnesses and giventhe above abundance of heavy metals are

therefore consistent of a causal relationship.


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Recommendation:

Immediate Complete chemical status determination. Specialized detoxification treatment.

Construction of technically relevant tailingsdam Urgent application for appropriate mining

monitoring and safe practice laws

Review of TGM OH&S quality control Mandatory Tailings dam for ALL mines

Recommendation Suggested for


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Recommendation Suggested forBeautiful Madang Province

Facilitate adequate and appropriateinformation to the nave indigenous RamuNickel affecting people MOA.

MUST have tailings dam not negotiable! MUST have baseline Chemical assay on

the impact areas including Madang Coast,

Environmental Impact Assessment- EIA EIA- ? .. Can Res Owners/ NGOs to

design the terms of the EIA.


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cont

Long Term Initiate appropriate Laws in industrial/Extraction

Activity:- Licensing

- Tailings & chemical disposal . Capacity strengthening of Independent Mine impact

monitoring. DoNH vs DEC vs Ombudsman vs NGOs Mandatory Heavy metal surveilance in the local pop.

Ensure timely review of MOA. Ensure transparent reporting/ Tripple Botttom Up

Annual Reporting.

H hi i l t ti f


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How can we archive implementations ofsuch Recommendations?

By PARTNERSHIPS with Like-minded individuals,groups and organizations.

Governments and NGOs/ CDOs

Schools in UPNG: Law, Medicine, Engineering.

Law & Constitutional Reform Communities.


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Goals

Preserve Human Health

Minimize Industrial adverse Impact onEnvironment, Fauna/Flora, Ecosystems

Minimize deviations fromNational/Provincial Goals e.g. NambawanMadang


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Thank you Partners!!