Environmental Risk and Health Hazardous Substances in Artisanal Small-Scaled Gold Mining in Sekotong, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Abstract

Gold (Au), copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni) are mined within Indonesia’s Archipelago as predominantly a mineral-rich country. Au is the worthiest metals compare to all these minerals over the years. Because of that reason, gold mining is one of major economic activity in Indonesia participated through by large-scale, artisanal and small-scale entities Artisanal Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) has been a source of chances for employment and subsistence to thousands of people. On the contrary, artisanal small-scale gold mining contributes to serious environmental and health issues for miners, nearby populations, and larger society when the use of mercury (Hg) occurs. This study aims to review environmental risk and health-hazardous substances in Artisanal Small-Scaled Gold Mining in Sekotong, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia which also emphasized geological data from the former study. The results showed that Sekotong’s ASGM area is centered by three hydrothermal alteration halos developing from proximal argillic, distal propylitic and superimposed advance argillic alteration also capped by ore mineralization. A high-dense mineralized stockwork of quartz vein as the main characterization founded. Under those circumstances, pledge local miners around the area to execute the prospects without knowing self-assessment and investigation. In conclusion, Sekotong’s ASGM area became one of the shortlisted areas that investigating the effects of mercury on the environment and people’s health signifies urgently necessary for developing a better solution to eliminate further mercury contamination to the environment in Sekotong’s ASGM area due to the extraction of the prospects before another catastrophe befalls.