Preface Under the environmental and health integrated plan of fiscal year 2015 (B.E.2558) which focused on collaboration between departments in the Ministry of Public Health aimed to achieve the objectives to reduce environmental risk factors that affect public health and the illness caused from the environment. A key measure of the environmental and health integrated plan is to develop the monitoring and warning system, public communication and to contribute the environmental and health problem-solving. Due to the circumstances of the environmental pollution problems in the risk areas are likely to affect health and have caused more complaints. So, in order to solve such problems and to reduce environmental risk factors that may affect the health of the people. The Department of Health and the Department of Disease Control have co-operated the joint surveillance in the risk areas under the integrated plan. By the activity is the preparation of guidelines and manuals for environmental and health surveillance in each of the risk areas consisting of the gold mining areas, the risk areas of air pollution from biomass power plants, the risk areas of air pollution from the smoke, the risk areas of air pollution from dust, the risk areas of contagious diseases from food and water and the risk areas of electronic wastes. The purpose is to create guidelines for the public health staff to apply in surveillance, warning and public communication proper to the problems in the areas and enable to manage and solve the environmental health problems in the risk areas effectively on which it would lead to health preventing and reduce environmental risk factors that affect 1 people’s health, according to the objectives of the integrated environmental and health plan. In addition to support the implementation of environmental and health surveillance in risk areas, the Publication Team has renewed the second updated guidelines which have more completely contents and information for surveillance in the risk areas. It would be beneficial to support the implementation of the public health officers in the areas. If there are any additional suggestions, please notify the Division of Health Impact Assessment, Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health. The Publication Team March, 2015 2 Table of Contents Preface 1 Table of Contents 3 Chapter 1 Background 5 1.1 Background 5 1.2 The Objectives of this guideline: 6 1.3 Target Groups 6 1.4 The Components of the Health Surveillance Guidelines in Case of Gold Mining 6 Chapter 2 Process, Pollutions and Health Impacts 7 2.1 Gold Deposits in Thailand 7 2.2 Types of gold mining 10 2.3 Process of Gold mining 12 2.4 Chemicals used in the Gold mining process 16 2.5 Health Hazards and Health Impacts 18 Chapter 3 Guidelines for Environmental surveillance 37 Chapter 4 Procedures and Methods of Health Surveillance 47 4.1 Health Risk Assessment 66 4.2 An example of health risk assessment in case of ingested arsenic exposure. 68 3 Table of Contents 4.3 Treatment and Rehabilitation 72 4.4 Setting community mapping or risk mapping 72 4.5 Mental health surveillance of the community. 74 4.6 A Study on consumption behavior of the population in the surrounding areas. 75 4.7 Collection of samples of food, vegetables and fruits (Department of medical service, 2014) 76 Chapter 5 Risk Communication and Risk Management 78 Chapter 6 Laws and Regulations Relating to Mining Activities 80 6.1 Relevant Legislations 80 6.2 Health and Environmental Quality Standards 82 Bibliography 93 4 Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Background Mining is the affair defined to prepare a report on the environmental impact assessment. According to National Environmental Quality Act B.E.2535 (1992) has stated that the mining industry, smelting or foundry with a capacity since 50 tons per day to study and prepare a report on the environmental impact assessment (EIA) and has defined to gold smelting industry which feed ore into the manufacturing process since 1000 tons / day or more as a project that may cause severe impact on the environmental quality of the community, natural resources and health which must report environmental health impact assessment (EHIA) by identifying measures to prevent and mitigate environmental impacts and measures of environmental quality monitoring. The project must have been monitoring the environmental impact listed in the environmental impact assessment report after the project was done. Furthermore, the mining industry is also defined as harm to health according to the Act of Public Health B.E.2535 (1992). Various types of mining could affect both the environment and people’s health. The impacts may cover both mining sites and nearby areas. The gold mining, particularly, has been complaints from the public about the environmental and health impacts, dust causing, heavy metal contamination or pollution in the environment, such as manganese, arsenic, cyanide, etc. Environmental diseases are also chronic, and are possible long-term effects and are often caused by many factors together. So the protection and surveillance of health affected from environmental hazards, particularly gold mining, are necessary to have official systematic data storage continuously. 5 1.2 The Objectives of this guideline: 1) To provide knowledge and information about production process, activities, pollutions and health hazards caused by gold mining. 2) To be guidelines for the preparation of surveillance and monitoring the health impacts in the area of gold mining. 1.3 Target Groups The public health practitioners who are in charge of care and take the responsibility for gold mining areas. 1.4 The Components of the Health Surveillance Guidelines in Case of Gold Mining Chapter 1 Background Chapter 2 Process, Pollutions and Health Impacts Chapter 3 Guidelines for Environmental health surveillance Chapter 4 Procedures and Methods of Environmental Health Surveillance Chapter 5 Risk Communication and Risk Management Chapter 6 Laws and Regulations Relating to Mining Activities 6 Chapter 2 Process, Pollutions and Health Impacts 2.1 Gold Deposits in Thailand Genesis of gold ores, both macroscopic and microscopic, in the varieties of the strata, such as igneous rock, sedimentary rock and metamorphic rock have been found in the veins / lodes of gold bearing quartz, pyrite and sulfite the veins / lodes of gold bearing quartz can be found in igneous rock. Primary gold deposits have been discovered at Tomo in Narathiwat province, Khaw Sarm Sib in Sakhaw province, Chatree gold mine in Pichit and Petchaboon province, Doi Dhoong in Chiangrai province and Khaw Phanompha in Pichit province in Thailand. But secondary deposits are formed by decay of rock contained of gold and the alluvia that are blown form the origin and accumulated at foothills, brook or in distributary. Those are formed as pellet, sheet or small flakes. Secondary gold deposits have been found at Pa Nam Ron in Prachuabkirikhan province, Ban Na Lom, Prachinburi province, Thung Hua in Lampang province, Doi Doon in Chiangrai province and Khaw Pa Nom Pa in Pichit province in Thailand. There are 9 potential gold deposits, both primary and secondary, in the country have been investigated. (Department of mineral resources, 2001) They are: (1) Mueng Loei, Chiang Khan and Pak Chom district in Loei province, continuous to Sangkhom district in Nongkhai province and Nam Som district, Suwan Ku ha district in Udonthani province. 7 (2) Kabin Buri district in Prachin Buri province and Watthana Nakhon district in Sa Khaw province. (3) Long district and Wang Chin district in Phare province, continuous to Sop Prap district and Thoen district in Lampang province and Si Satchanalai district-Thung Saliam district in Sukhothai province. (4) Mueng Chiangrai district, Mae Sai district and Wiang Pa Pao district in Chiang Rai province. (5) Sanamchaikhet district in Chachoengsao province to Ban Bueng district and Bo Thong district in Chonburi province. (6) Thap Sakae District, Bang Saphan District and Bang Saphan Noi district in Prachuap Khiri Khan province. (7) Sukhirin district, Waeng district and Ra-ngae district in Narathiwat Province and southern part of Yala province. (8) Sangkhla Buri district, Thong Pha Phum district and Sai Yok district in Kanchanaburi province. (9) Mueang Phetchabun district, Wang Pong district and Lom Sak district in Phetchabun Province, Tap Khlo district in Phichit province, Tha Tako district in Nakhon Sawan province, Khok Samrong district and Ban Mi district in Lop Burin province, (10) as illustrated in figure 2.1 8 Gold Deposits in Thailand Primary Gold Deposits Secondary Gold Deposits Gold Deposits Mining by Private Sectors Figure 2.1 Gold deposits in Thailand (Department of Mineral Resources, referred in IPST, 2002) 9 Gold deposits that have been surveyed and developed to be gold mining industries are Chatree gold mining complex in Phichit province and Phu Thabfa gold mine in Loei province. Chatree gold mining complex is a primary resource and composes of gold and silver quartz and carbonate lode/fissure vein in volcanic rock. The average amount of gold is 2.6 grams and silver 13.3 grams per 1 ton of minerals. The gold deposits at Phu Thabfa are also primary resources and compose of gold and iron in the rocks (IPST, 2012) 2.2 Types of gold mining Gold mining is the process of mining of gold ores through several processes by which pure gold ores may be extracted from the gold rocks 1) Open-pit or open-case mining or surface mining is a mining technique by digging and opening the surface of the earth to get the gold deposits. During these processes, there are several heavy machines are used, such as ground drilling machines, excavators, backhoes, haul truck. Rock blasting is used to open pits and spiral staircases are made to reach bedrock and they will be used to transport minerals up to mineral processing (mineral technology) 10 Figure 2.2 Open pits or open-cast mining or surface mining Figure 2.3 Underground mining 11 2) Underground mining are used to access gold ores from deep in the Earth.