Mercury: An agent of poverty in Ghana's small-scale gold-mining sector?
Mercury: An agent of poverty in Ghana's small-scale gold-mining sector?
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DOI：
10.1016/j.resourpol.2006.09.001
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发表时间：
2006-06-01
期刊：
影响因子：
10.2
通讯作者：
Pardie, Sandra
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Hilson, Gavin;Pardie, Sandra
全世界的共识是，手工和小规模采矿部门由陷入贫困恶性循环的个人组成，他们缺乏必要的财政和技术手段来提高生活水平。然而，在查明矿工困境背后的因素方面所做的工作很少，而这些因素必然因国而异。本文使用加纳的案例研究来论证，在手工金矿开采社区中，汞齐化对汞的依赖程度越来越高，这是一种被忽视的“贫困因素”。越来越多的经验证据表明，与供应汞的中间商打交道、购买昂贵的药物来治疗汞中毒引起的疾病以及缺乏适当的保障措施和汞齐法的替代办法，都阻碍了金矿工人改善他们的做法和生计。解决这一问题的办法在于打破这种依赖循环，可以通过为矿工提供强有力的支持服务、无汞技术和教育来实现。(c)2006爱思唯尔有限公司保留所有权利。
There is consensus worldwide that the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector is comprised of individuals who are trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty, lacking the necessary financial and technological means to improve their standards of living. Minimal work, however, has been undertaken to identify the very factors behind miners' plight, which inevitably vary from country to country. This paper uses a case study of Ghana to argue that an increased dependence upon mercury for amalgamation In artisanal gold-mining communities is one such-albeit overlooked-"agent of poverty". There is mounting empirical evidence which suggests that dealings with the monoponistic middlemen who supply mercury, purchases of costly medicines to remedy ailments caused by mercury poisoning, and a lack of appropriate safeguards and alternatives to amalgamation, are preventing gold miners from improving their practices and livelihoods. The solution to the problem lies in breaking this cycle of dependency, which can be achieved by providing miners with robust support services, mercury-free technologies and education. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.