GCRF Mine Dust and Health Network

GCRF矿尘和健康网络SUMMARY虽然采矿业对世界各地发展中国家的经济做出了重大贡献，但采矿活动对环境和健康有显著的负面影响。其中，采矿及其相关作业排放的粉尘越来越引起人们的关注。除了影响吸入矿物粉尘颗粒的矿工的健康外，露天矿、矿石加工厂和金属提炼厂、矿石库存、矿石运输集装箱和矿山废物堆积物也排放粉尘，影响更广泛的环境和社区。矿尘暴露引起或加重的肺部疾病包括矽肺(因吸入石英或结晶二氧化硅引起)、黑肺病(由吸入煤尘引起)和肺结核(接触二氧化硅粉尘会增加患肺结核的风险，尤其是在金矿工人中)。这给本已紧张的公共卫生和社会保障体系带来了巨大的负担。采矿对职业健康的危害有很好的记录，最近在针对南非六家主要矿商的集体诉讼中承认了粉尘和肺部疾病之间的联系，该诉讼授予在1965年3月至2018年5月期间在金矿工作的矿工患上矽肺和结核病(https://www.silicosissettlement.co.za/).然而，尽管社区和社区支持组织经常表示关切，但与环境粉尘排放有关的健康影响尚未得到严格的研究。需要有意义的数据来告知哪些战略和政策将最有效地减轻矿尘对生活在矿场和矿场附近的社区的影响，这些社区的人口数以百万计。然而，收集这样的数据并不容易。其中涉及许多复杂因素，粉尘来源及其影响受到卫生、经济、社会、地质、环境、工程、管理和政治领域相互关联的因素的影响。与地雷粉尘有关的问题也常常引起争议，涉及不同的利益攸关方以及利益攸关方和受影响的各方，他们的优先事项不同，而且往往相互冲突。专家和非专业人员之间的接触和沟通不足、学科孤岛和两极分化的观点使人们很难全面了解与矿尘环境排放有关的复杂健康问题，从而难以设计有意义的综合方法来解决这些问题。我们的GCRF矿尘与健康网络将寻求通过聚集来自不同学科和专业背景的研究人员、利益相关者和从业人员来应对这些挑战，以确定采矿活动产生的粉尘污染对公众健康影响的来源、挑战和潜在的缓解机会。重点将放在整合和共享不同学科和利益攸关方关于以下方面的知识和信息：潜在来源和扩散途径；对环境和受采矿影响社区的健康、生活质量和生计的潜在风险；监测方法和做法；管理扩散和影响的措施；利益攸关方参与和沟通；以及治理政策、标准和条例。最终，GCRF地雷粉尘和健康网络将成为一个协作智囊团，为学科内和学科间的研究方向提供信息；政府政策和法规；公共诊所的健康监测方案；行业最佳实践；以及整个南部非洲和全球的社区保健和影响预防方案(随着网络的扩展)。

GCRF MINE DUST AND HEALTH NETWORK SUMMARYWhile the mining industry contributes significantly to the economies of developing countries around the world, mining activities have notable negative environmental and health impacts. Among these, the dust emitted by mining and its associated operations is a cause of increasing concern. Apart from impacting the health of mine-workers who breathe in mineral dust particles, dust is emitted from open pit mines, ore processing and metal extraction plants, ore stockpiles, ore transport containers and mine waste deposits, impacting the wider environment and communities. Lung diseases caused or exacerbated by mine dust exposure include silicosis (caused by inhaling quartz or crystalline silica), black lung disease (caused by inhaling coal dust) and tuberculosis (silica dust exposure increases the risk of pulmonary TB, particularly in gold miners). This places a huge burden on already-strained public health and social security systems.Occupational health hazards from mining are well documented, and the link between dust and lung disease was recently recognised in a class action lawsuit against the six main mining houses in South Africa, awarded in favour of mine workers who contracted silicosis and TB working on gold mines between March 1965 and May 2018 (https://www.silicosissettlement.co.za/). However, the health effects associated with environmental dust emissions, although frequently a concern expressed by communities and community support organisations, have not been rigorously studied. Meaningful data is needed to inform what strategies and policies will work best to mitigate the effects of mine dust on communities living near mines and mine dumps, the populations of which number in their millions. Gathering such data is not simple, however. There are many complexities involved, with dust sources and their effects being influenced by inter-related factors covering the health, economic, social, geological, environmental, engineering, management, and political spheres. The issues associated with mine dust are also frequently contentious and involve diverse stakeholders and interested and affected parties with different, and often conflicting priorities. Poor engagement and communication between experts and lay persons, disciplinary silos and polarised viewpoints have made it difficult to develop a holistic understanding of the complex health issues associated with environmental emissions of mine dusts, and consequently to design meaningful and integrated approaches to address such issues.It is these challenges that our GCRF MINE DUST AND HEALTH NETWORK will seek to address by bringing together researchers, stakeholders and practitioners from a variety of disciplines and professional backgrounds to identify sources, challenges and potential mitigation opportunities associated with public health effects from dust pollution arising from mining activities. Focus will be on integrating and sharing knowledge and information across different disciplines and stakeholders on potential source and dispersion pathways; potential risks to the environment and the health, quality of life and livelihoods of mining-affected communities; monitoring methods and practices; measures to manage dispersion and impacts; stakeholder engagement and communication; and governance policies, standards and regulations. Ultimately, the GCRF Mine Dust and Health network will serve as a collaborative think-tank to inform research directions both within and across disciplines; government policy and regulations; health monitoring programmes at public clinics; industry best practice; and community healthcare and impact prevention programmes across southern Africa and, as the Network expands, the globe.