No unsafe levels of mercury at Gold Board, GTT, nearby Brickdam areas

Oct 02, 2018 News

new Queenstown office given thumbs up

The Crown Street, Queenstown offices of the Guyana Gold Board.

Two US experts using special equipment have not found worrying levels of mercury at the Brickdam compound of Guyana Gold Board and its environs.

Test conducted said that almost all of the readings taken throughout the nearby offices of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC); Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) compounds were below the analytical limit of detection.

“They confirmed also that while a few areas had detectable results, no area exceeded the lowest applicable eight-hour time weighted average occupational exposure limit of 0.025 mg/m3. In other words, what is considered safe and acceptable,” a joint statement of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Guyana Gold Board said yesterday.

The issue had cropped up earlier this year when GGMC workers at the Brickdam office were found to have elevated levels of mercury in their system.

Several workers were sent home for treatment; Gold Board and GTT workers were also found to be affected.

Gold Board halted its gold burning operations and relocated its burning to Duncan Street gold facility as advice was sought and authorities attempted to get a handle on the situation.

However, the fears over mercury levels in the Brickdam environs have persisted.

According to the joint statement, yesterday, following a request made to the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization representative’s office in Guyana by the Minister of Natural Resources for further technical support, the United States Department of Health and Human Services of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has submitted a preliminary summary of their findings and recommendations.

This was following a visit to Guyana from September 11 to September 14, 2018.

“The visit was facilitated through ongoing collaboration with the PAHO/WHO Guyana Country Office and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) following reports of concerns raised earlier in the year about overexposure to mercury emissions.”

The Ministry and Gold Board yesterday disclosed that the team consisted of two engineers, Duane Hammond and Kevin Dunn from the Engineering and Physical Hazards Branch, Division of Field Studies and Engineering.

During the visit, the two-member team met with Ministers Raphael Trotman, Volda Lawrence, and Keith Scott, as well as representatives from the Gold Board and local PAHO/WHO representatives.

“Dr. Dunn and Captain Hammond observed gold burning and smelting operations at the Guyana Gold Board’s temporary location on Crown Street, Queenstown, Georgetown. They also spoke with employees and managers, and the contractor.

The team used a top-of-the-line and highly recognized reading instrument to evaluate mercury vapour concentrations throughout the Guyana Geology and Mines complex, the Ministry of Public Health’s complex, the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company and the Guyana Gold Board’s burning and smelting rooms, and in surrounding offices and outer areas.”

According to the statement, the results of the Gold Board’s new office at Crown Street, Queenstown found that from 80 direct reading measurements for mercury in the burning room during and after six burn hour at the GGB, there were no reading measurements above the NIOSH ceiling limit of 0.1 mg/m3 [NIOSH 2018].

“The team of experts defined a ceiling limit in the report as, “a level that should never be exceeded at any time during a shift.””

Very specifically, the report noted that, “Measurement results ranged from 0.000-00.41 mg/m3.” Again, that is safe and healthy, which bring much comfort, the statement said.

Among the team’s recommendations were that the GGB install an air velocity monitoring device; and monitor mercury vapour concentrations in the burn room and waiting areas during burning on a daily basis.

Gold Board will also have to develop standard operating procedures to incorporate mercury monitoring as part of the daily systems evaluation and to ensure adherence to procedures.

The team recommended Gold Board maintain the facilities following a strict regime of oversight.

“The Guyana Gold Board already has some pieces of equipment (including the j405 device mentioned in the preliminary summary), procedures in place and training underway. Management will endeavour to ensure that we implement fully and early all the recommendations made.”

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