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Lefke Çevre ve Tanıtma Derneği
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Environmental Society of Lefka |
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PROCEEDING OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON
EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
AND THE CASE OF CYPRUS MINES
EEPCCM
– 2001
“THE ENVIRONMENTAL and PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEMS DUE TO TAILING PONDS OF COPPER MINE IN LEFKE, CYPRUS
Prof Dr. Fethi DOĞAN
Ege University Faculty of Medicine
Department of Public Health, IZMIR-TURKEY
This report had been prepared on the
basis of the other instructor’s analysis for the invitation of
Environmental Protection and Presentation Society of Lefke which informed
to Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Government, on November 1999.
Investigations and collecting the samples had been carried out during
three days and then the samples had been analyzed at Ege University.
A. THE PREVIOUS
INVESTIGATIONS DEALING WITH THIS SUBJECT
After literature searching, the
following articles were obtained:
§
According to the publication, dated June 6 ,1963,written by Turkish
Cypriot Worker Association, it had been reported that Silicosis being a
member of Pneumoconiosis as a type of lung illness had increased
dramatically, therefore, indemnity payments had been increased 50% in
ratio.(1)
§
At the committee meeting, carried by Dr. Fazıl Küçük’s presidency,
of Cyprus Mine Company, in 1967, it had been asserted that the mine dust
had damaged extremely to the citrus fruits especially lemon flowers and
trees, therefore, it had been stated that they would be unproductive in
ten years and also damages had been seen for last four years. The major
concern of the meeting had been the request of indemnity payments to the
producers because of decreasing in the orange product from 20 million in
1962 to 6 million and 4 million in 1963 and 1964 respectively.(2)
§
A committee had been set up by Agricultural Division Agricultural
Research Institute in 1970 for searching of this Copper mine dust
deposition on vegetation at Lefke, and the leaf analysis had been done at
Agricultural Division Chemical Research Centre and also at State
Laboratory. As a result, deposition of the mine dust on leaves, decreasing
in dimensions of fruit and trees, badly effecting in colour, taste and
quality of fruits had been determined.(3)
§
It had been stated in the report, dated June 9th 1999,
prepared by Environmental Protection and Presentation Society of Lefke,
sent to Mr. Mustafa Akıncı, State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, that
the heavy metals in Gemikonağı Gölet’s water had been found in very high
ratio and besides some of them had reached to 15-17 times higher than
their own standard values according to the water analysis carried by state
Laboratories.(4)
Table 1: Results of Analysis (The
Report prepared by Halil Çağnan, KKTC State Laboratory Directorship,
Director of Radiation and Environment Analysis, dated October 28th,1999)
§
According to KKTC State Laboratory Directorship’s report, dated
October 28th 1999, 8 vegetable samples collected from Gemi
Konağı Maden İşleme Tesisleri at different dates and 3 vegetable samples
collected from assumed clean areas had been investigated. As it is obvious
at the enclosed analysis results; only chrome among the carcinogen heavy
metals had been analyzed and chrome value had been found too much at
Şifaotu and at Pireotu collected from contaminated area and also at
Şifaotu collected from assumed uncontaminated area. As it is known that
the heavy metals deposited on vegetables pass to human by two ways i.e.
directly and indirectly; as eating of these vegetables by human and eating
of meat and drinking of milk of animals eating these vegetables
respectively(6,7,8). Certainly, due to only chrome among carcinogen heavy
metals had been investigated, we had to evaluate only chrome. It is
assumed that other carcinogen heavy metals especially arsenic and mercury
are too much.
§
As a result; any work and attempt relating with the public health
problems resulting of Lefke Copper Mine had not been done previously. It
had been seen that there were some searches but they had been prepared in
the view of considering of economical, agricultural and product concerns
instead of public health. The effecting level of residents from toxic,
chemical and carcinogen heavy metals diffusing from tailing storage had
not been investigated.
B- OUR INVESTIGATIONS BASED ON THE
VISIT DATED NOVEMBER 1999.
The visit to Copper Mine
had been realized by us obeying to previously mentioned procedure. Since
Gemikonağı Mine Processing Establishment had not permitted to us for
entering the gate, reaching to open mine ponds had been realized by
wandering around the land. All of 6 big 6 small ponds had been wandered,
searched and also soil, leaf and water samples had been collected by Prof.
Dr. Ünal Altınbaş from Ege University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department
of Soil. It had been observed that one of the big tailing ponds near the
stream had collapsed in the flood therefore the tailing pond mud having
extremely high amount of toxic chemicals and carcinogen heavy metals had
reached to the sea by flowing in this stream. It is obviously seen that
these dangerous factors of the tailing pond mud are not only for
underground waters but at the same time they are very danger for
agricultural land and sea because of reaching to there.
The settlement areas had been
visited, public health problems had been talked and discussed with the
residents, Lefke Municipality Minister had been visited and importance of
the subject and precautions had been investigated. Ideas on improvements,
advertisement needs and suggestions had been indicated.
C- RESULTS OF THE
INVESTIGATION REGARDING TO PUBLIC HEALTH
The fundamental factor in mining of
valuable metals such as gold, silver, copper etc. is separation of the
metal from rock. The aim of the separation for all kinds of separation
methods is deposition of metal as elemental form from its salt mixtures.
Unfortunately, all other heavy
metals in the ore are also separated as valuable metals during the
separation process. These heavy metals transform from salt mixtures to
elemental form and become mobile. This mobility is more effective in
cyanide leaching method than the others.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOME
CARSINOGEN HEAVY METALS IN LEFKE COPPER TAILING POND AND HEALTH
Table: Carcinogen Heavy Metal on
Leaves
Carcinogen Heavy Metal on Soil
The measurements were analyzed in
Ege University Faculty of Agriculture Department of Soil by Prof.Dr. Ünal
ALTINBAŞ on 2nd March 1999
Another known geological
information is that valuable metal ores such as gold, silver, copper etc.
have also other metals in high amount. There are many mines all around the
world but they must obey some rules in view of public health, otherwise
public health is damaged extremely. Some rules for mining are as follows:
being far away from settlements and underground waters, being regardless in
view of agriculture, tourist and environment, having waste treatment ponds,
to be taken necessary hygienic precautions, having impermeable bed provided
by thick clay geomembrane in storage. Mining must be operative correctly.
Since carcinogen heavy metals being together with valuable metals such as
gold, silver, copper etc. dissolve with them and become mobile and then can
pass from this dangerous pond mud to underground water, air, environment,
bird etc. In fact, the end point reached from all kinds of contaminations
is human and major concern is human’s chronic exposure. In other way,
residents, living there, drinking its water, eating its animals and
vegetables will have some systematical diseases and cancers in average 10
years or above. At the enclosed table, the carcinogen heavy metals passing
from the ores to human by water and other ways and the diseases caused by
them are illustrated. It should be defined immediately, arsenic and mercury
are the most dense metals among them reaching to human. There are many
articles on increasing in cancers and chronic diseases resulted of arsenic
and mercury. Even mine ends and/or is closed, due to presence of heavy
metals, which are not decomposed, and not degraded, mobil, and as a wakeful
giant, public health problems continue 50years even 100 tears later.
Therefore if these mines are near to settlements, they must not be operated
and must be waited until the new methods are found. It is obviously seen at
the enclosed tables. Zinc (Zn), chrome (Cr), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), nickel
(Ni), in the water, leaf and soil samples collected form Lefke abandoned
copper mine and around had been analyzed but analysis of arsenic and mercury
had not been able to done. Although arsenic and mercury are the most
important metals among them, they could not be analyzed since special
equipments. Treatments and attention are necessary during the sampling of
arsenic and mercury. Therefore, it hade been decided that to analyze arsenic
and mercury at KKTC state Laboratory instead of Ege University.
Investigated carcinogen
heavy metals at tailing ponds and on the residents’ land, fruit, vegetable
the standard limits. Lead, chrome, cadmium and zinc had been analyzed form
the samples collected form the tailing pond, and their values had been found
high. Another carcinogen heavy metal Nickel (Ni) had been also analyzed and
its values had been determined also high. As cadmium, being together with
Zinc (Zn), chrome (Cr) and lead (Pb) on rural settlement, had been stated
less amount then them, but others () had been found too much. Furthermore,
sandy soil formation up to 50 % in ratio of the land is determined by
Prof.Dr. Ünal ALTINBAS’s analysis and the limit value had been lowered for
such land composition. Because, passing rate and amount of heavy metal of
sandy land to underground water is high.
CONCLUSIONS
Tailing Ponds of Lefke Copper Mines had been built very primitive technology and they have very dangerous character. Tailing amount has a huge emission level and covers a large area. Deposition of high a | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
