Photograph of La Esperanza Mine
In Aranzazu, Caldas, a historical episode of mercury poisoning has been reconstructed by a team of researchers from the Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS), who combined testimonies of inhabitants, doctors and historians to reveal the impact of this tragedy on the health of miners and their families.
This case, now documented in the journal Environmental Geochemistry and Health, thanks to the work of UIS researchers Álvaro Javier Idrovo Velandia, Sebastián Bonilla and Helwar Fernando Fiegueroa, represents the worst mercury-related occupational health disaster in Colombia, and highlights the persistent risks of this metal in illegal mining.
The discovery that triggered this investigation occurred in 1948, when a farmer discovered liquid mercury gushing from the ground, which led to the exploitation of the “La Esperanza” mine. Peasants working in tunnels of more than 150 meters began to suffer “hydrargirism” or mercurialism, an intoxication caused by exposure to mercury, a heavy and highly toxic metal, banned in Colombia for gold mining since 2018, although its illegal use persists.
According to testimonies gathered, in 1967 the affected miners presented symptoms such as headache, bone pain, loss of appetite, tiredness, nausea, diarrhea, bad breath, sore gums, loose and brownish teeth, and hand tremors. It is estimated that between 100 and 250 people worked in the mine, of which between 25 and 70 suffered intoxication. Among the workers who worked underground, 100% suffered from the disease.
The mine was closed in 1975, and although treatments with chelating agents were applied to expel the mercury from the body, many miners were left disabled, others looked for new jobs or migrated to other cities.
For more information on the study, we invite you to consult the publication in the journal Environmental Geochemistry and Health https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10653-024-02301-y.
https://www.scielo.br/j/hcsm/a/mNz97xtbkwZwpGfNQy5jWjn/?lang=en
Aranzazu mine workers
