Cattle organs 'contaminated by mining'
2012-12-18 14:42
Mahikeng - A researcher from North West University has found
that the internal organs of cattle kept in the area around the Wonderfontein
Spruit have been contaminated with uranium and cobalt, Beeld reported on
Tuesday.
In research conducted for his Masters thesis in
environmental science, David Hamman analysed the animals' kidneys and found
that uranium levels were 4 350 times higher than those in a control group.
In his study, titled "A Holistic View on the Impact of
Gold and Uranium Mining on the Wonderfontein Spruit", Hamman found that
the cattle were eating grass growing next to the river.
This proved that the heavy metals bio-accumulated in the
grass, Hamman said.
He also found that high concentrations of lead were found in
irrigated lands next to the Wonderfontein Spruit - up to 17.3 times higher than
those next to the Mooi River.
Hamman did a risk analysis for beef eaters, and found that
no danger existed for people eating less than 0.13kg per day of the
contaminated meat.
The Wonderfontein Spruit flows near Randfontein, through an
area of about 90km containing the richest gold deposits in the world.
- SAPA
