Aug 11 2009
Caijing on the Impact of Mining in China
Here are a couple of excellent articles on heavy metal contamination in Guizhou and Hunan, China. Both make mention of small-scale mining. Caijing is probably China’s top business magazine and has really made a name for itself exposing corruption cases.
(Wanshan, Mercury) – http://english.caijing.com.cn/2009-07-27/110214822.html
“. . .Wu and her husband worked for many years at the nearby Guizhou Mercury mine and smelting plant. The husband worked at a smelter until 1997, when he contracted acute nasopharyngeal carcinoma from mercury vapor released during the smelting process. He died three months later.”
(Hunan, Cadmium) – http://english.caijing.com.cn/2009-08-11/110222718.html
“Seven-year-old Liu Bingqing died in December 2008, two years after he was diagnosed with cadmium poisoning. . . in Xinma Village, Majiahe Township, Zhuzhou City, in central China’s Hunan Province. Liu was not the first to die from contact with this toxic, bluish-white metal, a by-product of zinc production.”
Even just a handful of years ago it was virtually impossible to get any information on cases such as these, especially in a Chinese publication. Now it seems both researchers and journalists are much more able to investigate such areas. Feng Xinbin’s group in Guiyang is an excellent example. It will be an intimidating task to attempt to start cleaning up some of these places in a meaningful way.