The Nigerian government has temporarily banned mining as the number of lead poisoning cases rapidly increase. Throughout northern Nigerian towns, soil that was extracted from gold mines was often carelessly dumped near water sources and areas where children played causing 18,000 known cases of lead poisoning and 400 child deaths.
The small village of Anka in Northern Nigeria was the first site found to have contaminated soil spread throughout the village. Shortly after many more sites where identified, after this discovery in June 2010 the government banned gold-mining in all of Zamfara, the northern city state home to Anka and other small villages like it. However the ban was largely ignored by most villagers and small time mining operations who make a meager living off mining for minerals. Lead poisoning is estimated to have infected 18,000 people, and has killed 200 children in a single month. Lead poisoning causes lowered IQ, learning difficulties, behavioural disorders, high blood pressure, kidney damage, anaemia, muscle weakness, infertility in men and stillbirths in women, and when young children are heavy exposed if often leads to death.
The UN is now conducting water tests throughout mining areas in Nigeria. The results have been shocking as nearly all public-drinking wells tested well above the World Health Organization standards. Even more shocking is that privately owned wells tested even higher. Meaning that the full extent of the poisoning and actual numbers of those affected is not yet known. Despite the seriousness the UN has said that for the government to ban mining all together is not the best decision for the developing nation.
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