ActionAid calls for urgent action on water contamination around Anglo Platinum mines

Johannesburg, South Africa, 26 March 2008 – ActionAid is calling for an urgent inquiry into water contamination around Anglo Platinum’s mines in Limpopo following the revelation that levels of nitrates are more than nine times the level of safe drinking water.

 

“Medical examinations and blood tests are urgently needed for schoolchildren in Ga-Molekane as they are being exposed to such a high risk of nitrates in drinking water,” said Zanele Twala, ActionAid’s South Africa country director. “Children should be supplied with alternative safe water immediately.”

 

Carin Bosman, an independent environmental management advisor and chemist, who undertook the water tests for ActionAid, said: “The norm used in the South African national standard and target water quality guideline for domestic use is 6 mg Nitrate-N per litre. Values between 6 and 20 could lead to methaemaglobinanemia in infants, while values above 20 will cause methaemaglobinanemia in children, and mucus membrane irritations in adults.”

 

The result at GaPila water seep was 76mg/l, at GaMolekane Primary School - 57.6mg/l, at GaMolekane Langalibalele Secondary School and GaMolekane Community Tap around 20mg/l, while at Sterkwater the result was 7.4mg/l.

 

“In addition to our concerns over water, people are also being unfairly relocated as we speak. This needs to stop now so that a proper process of consultation and negotiation is reached and mining affected communities are fairly compensated,” said Twala.

 

“Our research is accurate. Community members livelihoods have been negatively impacted by mining, as evidenced by statements made by community members at our press conference at the South African Human Rights Commission yesterday.”

 

Over the course of a year, while conducting research for the report, ‘Precious Metal: the impact of Anglo Platinum on poor communities in Limpopo, South Africa,’ ActionAid has made several attempts to have a formal meeting with Anglo Platinum but so far, responses have only been given in writing. All of the company’s responses have been included in ActionAid’s report.

 

In the light of the findings of the independent water quality assessment, Anglo Platinum should make its environmental management and social and labour plans publicly available, as well as results of monitoring it has conducted around its mines, and subject its community development projects to independent audits. It should also, acting in accordance with its policy of being a responsible corporate citizen, provide water to its affected neigbours while the Human Rights Commission investigates the matter.

 

 

“We would like to sit down with Anglo Platinum and the communities concerned to deal with the issues at hand, and to move forward in a manner that respects the rights of the communities and is fair to the mining company,” added Twala.

 

 

ENDS

 

Note to Editors:

Water Quality Monitoring Report around Anglo Platinum Mines in Limpopo

 

Nitrate (NO₃) is the end product of the oxidation of ammonia (NH₄) or nitrite (NO₂). Nitrates and Nitrites occur together and inter-conversion readily occurs. Nitrates are either measured as the salt, NO₃, or the amount of Nitrate-Nitrogen (NO₃N). Concentrations of Nitrate in water are typically less than 5mg/l of Nitrate-N, or converted, 22mg/l NO₃. Sources of nitrate in natural waters results primarily from the oxidation of human and animal debris and excrement, where it will be found with high levels of bacteriological contamination, unless the water has been disinfected. It could also be found in agricultural areas where fertiliser is used, where it occurs in association with phosphates. If found in areas where mining activities are conducted, the presence of nitrate could result from blasting residues, as ammonia is a key constituent in explosives, which are disposed on waste rock dumps or slimes dams, from where it will enter the groundwater environment. In the case of GaMolekane Primary School, the absence of bacteriological contamination and the lack of phosphates in the water, as well as the close proximity to the slimes dam of the mine, confirms the cause of the contamination as mining related.

 

Nitrate in drinking water is a particular health concern in that it readily converts in the gastrointestinal tract to nitrite as a result of bacterial reduction. Nitrite, upon absorption, combines with haemoglobin, the oxygen carrying red blood pigment, to form methaemaglobin, rendering the blood incapable of carrying oxygen – a disease known as methemoglobinanemia. Signs and symptoms of methemoglobinanemia (methaemaglobin >1%) include shortness of breath, cyanosis, mental status changes, headache, fatigue, exercise intolerance, dizziness and loss of consciousness. Severe methemoglobinanemia (methaemaglobin >50%) patients have dysrhythmias, seizures, coma and death. Arterial blood with elevated methaemaglobin levels has a characteristic chocolate-brown colour as compared to normal bright red oxygen containing arterial blood.

 

Metabolically, nitrates may also react with amines and amides, commonly found in food such as meat to form nitrosamines, which are known carcinogens (cancer causing agents), and which can lead to especially stomach cancer.

 
 

The norm used in the target water quality guideline for domestic use (6 mg/l as Nitrate-N) is human health. Values between 6 and 20 could lead to methaemaglobinanemia in infants, while values above 20 will cause methaemaglobinanemia in children, and mucus membrane irritations in adults.