Mining is economically important. However, the sector often ignores the environmental impacts of mining activites. These impacts can seriously harm the health of local communities and damage water sources and agricultural products. The aim of this study was to investigate the impacts of Eyethu coal mining on the community of Vosman in Emalahleni, in the Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. A mixed research approach was employed, where the use of Remote Sensing to detect land-use and land-cover changes over the years was complemented by a survey (197 respondents) to assess the health impacts of the mine, while water quality assessment and risk assessment were also used to assess the impacts on the nearby river. The key findings suggested that Eyethu coal mining has contributed to the environmental degradation of the study and surrounding area, particularly the destruction of natural vegetation. Inhabitants also reported ground instability (65.9%), health impairment (55.9%, mainly respiratory illnesses), altered air (54.4%) and water quality contamination (55.9%), and this notwithstanding the fact that the people still use the river for domestic and agricultural purposes. These perceptions coincided with objective scientific evaluations of the water quality, which also concluded that the upper river section was highly acidic (pH 3.26), with considerable levels of arsenic (0.024 μg/L) and mercury (0.006 μg/L While formal inferential statistical tests were not conducted, comparative analysis of environmental indicators between the baseline period (T1) and the most recent period (T2) demonstrates a clear increase in land-use disturbance, vegetation loss, and water-quality alteration over time. All heavy metals that were measured were within the threshold of the SANS 241 standards; however, the acidic environment promotes metal solubility and poses a long-term threat to the ecosystem and human health. The Chronic Daily Intake (CDI), Hazard Quotient (HQ) and Hazard Index (HI) were all revealed to be lower than 1, which indicates a low chance of causing non-carcinogenic diseases. In conclusion, the study showed negative impacts attributed by the mine. From changes in land use and land cover, to impacts on human health as well as changes in water quality. Although water quality indices revealed that the impacts of the mine on water quality are not yet severe for assessed heavy metals, this might not be the case with other heavy metals. The study recommends a strong enforcement of environmental regulations, monitoring and rehabilitation, and community engagement in the mining decisions. Moreover, more risk assessments of other heavy metals are encouraged to generalise the quality of the nearby river.
Ngaphandle kokumelana nokubaluleka kwezomnotho wezimayini, lomkhakha uvamise ukukubukela phansi ukuhlolwa komthelela wawo kwezemvelo. Izinhlekelele ezinkulu kwezemvelo zidala ubungozi kwizempilo emiphakathini yasemazweni asafufusa, futhi kuphazamisa izitshalo kanye nemithombo yamanzi ngenxa yemisebenzi yokumba ezimayini. Inhlosonqangi yalesisifundo ukubheka umthelela emphakathini waseVosman eMalahleni, esifundazweni saseMpumalanga, eNinizimu Afrika, umthelela odalwa inkampani emba amalahle i-Eyethu. Indlela yokwenza ucwaningo oluhlanganisile yasetshetshenziswa, lapho kwakusetshenziswa I -remote sensing ukubheka ukusetshenziswa komhlaba,kanye nokuguquguquka komhlaba eminyakeni, (lolucwaningo lwenziwe kubantu abangama-197) ukubheka umthelela yezimayini, khathi kubhekwa futhi isimo samanzi kanye nobungozi emfuleni eseduzane. Imiphumela ebalulekile yaveza ukuthi inkampani yemayini i-Eyethu ibe nomthelela omkhulu ekucekelekeni phansi kwemvelo kulendowo okade kwenziwa kuyo ucwaningo kanye nasezindaweni eziyakhele, ikakhulukazi ukuphazamiseka kwezimila zemvelo. Izakhamizi/ Abahlali baphinda baveza ukungaqini kahle komhlabathi (amaphesenti angama-65.9), okukhubazeka kwezempilo (amaphesenti angama-55.9, ikakhulukazi inkinga yokuphefumula) umoya abawuphefumulayo ongekho ezingeni ngenxa yokungcoliseka (amaphesenti angama-55.4) kanye nokuphazamiseka kwezinga lamanzi ngenxa yokungcoliseka (amaphesenti angama -55.9), ngaphezu kwakho konke lokhu abantu basebenzisa wona umfula ukuthola amanzi okusetshenziswa emakhaya kanye nokuchelela izitshalo. Ngaphandle nje kokuqonda ukuqondana kwezinhloso zokubheka izinga lamanzi ngokwesayensi, okwathola ukuthi amanzi enhla nomfula anesimuncwane(i-acid) eningana (Ph3.26), kanye ne arsenic(ubuthi), obuwu (0.024ug/L) kanye ne-mercury ewu(0.006ug/L), lokkhu kuyinkoba yokuthi indawo la ukungcoliseka kwenzeka khona. Zonke izinsimbi ezisindayo zakalwa kwatholakala ukuthi ziphakathi kombundu ongama-241 SANS, ngokwamazinga, nomakunjalo, imvelo/umhlaba one -acidi kudala ukuncibikala kwensimbi futhi kudala ukuphazamiseka kwimvelo kanye nezimpilo zabantu ekuhambeni kwesikhathi. I- Chronic Daily Intake (CDI), Hazard Quotient (HQ) kanye ne Hazard Index (HI) kwavela ukuthi kungaphansi kuka1, okukhombisa amathuba amancane okuphathwa izifo ezidala umdlavuza. Esiphethweni, lolucwaningo/ lesisifundo sikhombisa umthelela ongemuhle odalwa izimayini, kusukela ekuguqukeni kokusetshenziswa komhlaba kuya ekuphendukeni kwawo, umthelela ezimpilweni zabantu, kanye nokushintsha kwezinga lamanzi. Noma inkomba ivezaukuthi umthelela wezimayini ezingeni lamanzi kawukho mubi kangako ngokocwaningo lwensimbi , lokhu kungenzeka kungafani uma ubheka olunye uhlobo lwensimbi. Lesisifundo siphakamisa kakhulu ukulandelwa kwemithetho elawula ezemvelo, ukuqapha kanye, nokuvuselela kanye,nokuxhumana nemiphakathi kwizinqumo zezimayini. Ngaphezu kwalokho,kugqugquzelwa ukuvamisa ukuhlola ubungozi bezinye izinsimbi ezisindayo emfuleni oseduzane.
Hu sa londwi ndeme ya ikonomi ya migodi, kanzhi sekithara iyi i dzhiela fhasi ṱhoḓisiso ya masiandoitwa ayo kha mupo. Masiandoitwa a mupo a vhaisaho vhukuma na a khombo ane a vhea khomboni mutakalo wa zwitshavha zwapo kha mashango a khou bvelelaho na ane a vhea khomboni zwibveledzwa zwavho zwa vhulimi na zwiko zwa maḓi zwi kolodwa mishumo ya migodi. Ndivho ya ngudo iyi yo vha i ya u sedzulusa masiandoitwa a migodi ya malasha ya Eyethu kha tshitshavha tsha Vosman ngei Emalahleni, kha vunḓu ḽa Mpumalanga, Afrika Tshipembe. Nḓila ya ṱhoḓisiso yo ṱhanganelano yo shumiswaho, hune u shumiswa ha u pfa zwi re kule u itela u vhona tshanduko dza u shumiswa ha mavu na u fukedzwa ha mavu kha miṅwaha zwo ḓadziswa nga tsedzuluso (vhafhinduli vha 197) u itela u ṱola masiandoitwa a mutakalo wa mugodini, ngeno tsedzuluso ya vhuimo ha maḓi na tsedzuluso ya khombo zwo dovha zwa shumiswa u sedzulusa masiandoitwa kha u gonya ha maḓi. Mawanwa a ndeme o sumbedza uri migodi ya malasha ya Eyethu yo shela mulenzhe vhukuma kha u tshinyadza mupo wa ngudo na fhethu ho ṱanganaho na hone, nga maanḓa u tshinyadzwa ha zwimela zwa mvelo. Vhadzulapo vho dovha vha vhiga u sa dzika ha mavu (65.9%), u sa dzika ha mutakalo (55.9%, zwihulusa malwadze a u fema), u shandukiswa ha vhuḓi ha muya (54.4%) na u tshikafhadzwa ha vhuḓi ha maḓi (55.9%), hu sa londwi uri vhathu vha kha ḓi shumisa mulambo kha ndivho dza hayani na dza vhulimi. Hezwi zwine zwa dzhiiwa zwo ṱangana na ṱhoḓisiso dza saintsi dzine dza vha na tshipikwa dza vhuḓi ha maḓi, zwe zwa dovha zwa fhedziswa nga ḽa uri tshipiḓa tsha mulambo wa nṱha tsho vha tshi na dungi nnzhi (pH 3.26), na zwikalo zwihulwane zwa aseniki (0.024 μg/L) na mekhuuri (0.006 μg/L), na uri zwi vhidzwa tshikafhadzo ya u fhisa i khalini. Tsimbi dzoṱhe dzi lemelaho dze dza kaliwa dzo vha dzi nga ngomu ha tshikalo tsha zwilinganyo zwa SANS 241; fhedzi fhethu hune ha vha na dungi zwi ṱuṱuwedza u ṱangana ha tsimbi nahone zwi vhea khombo ya tshifhinga tshilapfu kha fhethu hune zwimela, zwipuka na zwiṅwe zwivhumbiwa, khathihi na mutsho na mbonalo ya shango, zwa shumisana u itela u vhumba mapulo a vhutshilo na mutakalo wa vhathu. Chronic Daily Intake (CDI), Hazard Quotient (HQ) and Hazard Index (HI) zwoṱhe zwo dzumbululwa zwi fhasi ha 1, zwine zwa sumbedza khombo ya fhasi ya u vhanga malwadze a sa ḓivhei uri a nga vhanga pfuko.
Musi hu tshi pendelwa, ngudo yo sumbedza masiandoitwa mavhi o ṱanganedzwaho nga mugodini, u bva kha tshanduko kha tshumiso ya mavu na u fukedzwa ha mavu, u ya kha masiandoitwa kha mutakalo wa vhathu, khathihi na tshanduko kha vhuimo ha maḓi. Naho vhuimo ha maḓi nga nomboro ṱhukhu ine ya papamala ine ya bvisela khagala uri masiandoitwa a mugodini kha vhuḓi ha maḓi ha athu vha mahulwane kha tsimbi dzi lemelaho dzo senguluswaho, hezwi zwi nga kha ḓi sa vha zwone kha dziṅwe tsimbi dzi lemelaho. Ngudo i themendela u kombetshedzwa ho khwaṱhaho ha milayo ya mupo, u ṱola na u vusuludza, na u dzhenelela ha tshitshavha kha tsheo dza migodi. Zwiṅwe hafhu, u ṱola khombo nnzhi dza dziṅwe tsimbi dzi lemelaho hu u ṱuṱuwedzwa u itela u angaredza vhuimo ha mulambo wa tsini.
