Mercury is ranked third on the list of the most toxic substances ratified by over 94 countries in the Minamata Convention globally due to its consequential effects on ecosystems.

Despite the consequential effects of mercury use on the environment, wildlife, and human beings, it is considered to be one of the factors that amalgamate to cumulative amounts of gold for artisan gold miners in different parts of the country.

According to the 2021-2022 report released by Resource Rights Africa, several artisan small-scale gold mining communities revealed that mercury-free technologies, such as panning, make up 70% chances of failure to attract gold.

“There are only 30% chances of getting gold when mercury is not used,” the communities revealed during an investigation on why mercury is still being used by the artisan small-scale gold miners.

Paul Twebaze, an environmentalist and natural resources management consultant in mining communities where mercury is used, says several efforts have been made to eliminate the use of mercury in the mining areas, but still falling on the barren ground due to a lack of alternatives.

“We should note that several communities in the gold mining areas are still engaged in the illegal transaction and use of mercury, particularly our artisan small gold miners,” he said.

“About 400,000 people in the mining regions of the country are directly earning from the artisan gold mining, with about 1.5 million people indirectly benefitting and this has sustained the use of mercury,” he added.

“Buhweju, Mubende, and Kassanda are some of the areas known for the use of mercury and are suspected to have caused the increase in mercury use in Karamoja sub[1]region,” Twebaze said.

Previously, Karamoja was not using mercury because they were practicing riverbed mining.

The Government has developed a national action plan to create a structured way to minimize and eventually eliminate the use of mercury.

This started with an assessment in 2018 and a study of the national overview of mercury use in the artisanal gold sub[1]sector, which informed the development of the national development plan, which the government is following.

“Mercury is a contaminant. It affects both flora and fauna. Mercury is accumulative, when it enters the plant, we end up having mercury-contaminated produce,” Twebaze said.

Andrew Byaruhanga, the executive director of Resource Rights Africa, said to curb the illicit trade of mercury in the gold mining areas, the focus should be on both the supply and demand side.

Artisanal gold mining communities use mercury mainly because of its availability and accessibility.

Byaruhanga claims that it was established that the highest supply of mercury comes from gold buyers, foreign traders, local mining association leaders, schools, hospitals, and laboratories. Businessmen and smugglers are also perpetrating mercury use.

He noted due to its illegality, there is no monitoring system to define the amount of mercury that enters.

Dangerous mercury use 

“Mercury is the third-ranked most toxic substance which affects the nervous system. It also leads to life-long disability, particularly in young children,” Byaruhanga said.

“The substance is not only toxic to human beings but also the ecosystem and wildlife. When exposed in high doses, it can kill because it contains a cancer-causing agent, carcinogen,” he added.

Impacts of mercury 

Officials have warned of hazardous impacts of mercury on the lives of the locals, which can last for more than a century, hence damaging the nervous systems and the brain, affecting their cognitive capacity, loss of memory, convulsions, and dizziness, among others.

How it can be stopped 

The report suggests that Government should streamline mandates and also strengthen coordination among key institutions, especially the National Environmental Management Authority, local governments, and other relevant institutions.

The mining regulatory framework should include mechanisms of local government participation in the regulation of mining activities to enforce mercury-free technologies.

There is also a need to establish an ASMs fund to provide affordable funding to the ASM value chain. There is a need to redefine the work of mining and environmental police and their role in curbing the illegal use of mercury in gold mining in all parts of the country.

Strengthening enforcement at the border points, especially between Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and DR Congo.

Twebaze further said the reason why artisanal small-scale miners have continued to use mercury is that the alternatives are expensive and when such technology is not used, the miners do not get as much gold when they use mercury.