Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD IOP Publishing
Résumé : Tropical forests of the Guiana Shield are the most affected by gold-mining in South America,experiencing an exponential increase in deforestation since the early 2000’s.Using yearly deforestation data encompassing Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and theBrazilian State of Amapá, we demonstrated a strong relationship between deforestation due togold-mining and gold-prices at the regional scale. In order to assess additional drivers ofdeforestation due to gold-mining, we focused on the national scale and highlighted theheterogeneity of the response to gold-prices under different political contexts. Deforestation dueto gold-mining over the Guiana Shield occurs mainly in Guyana and Suriname. On the contrary,past and current repressive policies in Amapá and French Guiana likely contribute to thedecorrelation of deforestation and gold prices. In this work, wefinally present a case studyfocusing on French Guiana and Suriname, two neighbouring countries with very different levelsof law enforcement against illegal gold-mining. We developed a modelling framework to estimatepotential deforestation leakages from French Guiana to Suriname in the border areas. Based onour assumptions, we estimated a decrease in deforestation due to gold-mining of approx. 4 300hectares in French Guiana and an increase of approx. 12 100 hectares in Suriname in response tothe active military repression of illegal gold-mining launched in French Guiana.Gold-mining in the Guiana Shield provides challenging questions regarding REDDþimplementation. These questions are discussed at the end of this study and are important topolicy makers who need to provide sustainable alternative employment to local populations inorder to ensure the effectiveness of environmental policies.
ISSN: 1748-9326

hal-01512075
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01512075
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01512075/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01512075/file/document%20%2828%29_%7B81107B08-30D1-44D2-877D-32F6DFAEF28A%7D.pdf
DOI : 10.1088/1748-9326/aa6082

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD BioMed Central
Résumé : International audience
BACKGROUND:In French Guiana, a French overseas territory in South America, 6 to 10 thousands undocumented persons work illegally in gold mining sites in the Amazonian forest. Precarious life conditions lead to poor health but few data exist on the health status of illegal gold miners in French Guiana. The objective of this article was to describe the sociodemographic and health status of this vulnerable population.METHOD:A prospective cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2015 on gold mine supply sites at the border between French Guiana and Suriname. Health status was assessed through medical examination, past medical history, haemoglobin concentration, and HIV and malaria testing. A questionnaire was used to collect data about the migration itinerary and life conditions on mining sites.RESULTS:Among the 421 adults included in the study, 93.8% (395/421) were Brazilian, mainly from Maranhão (55.7%, 220/395), the poorest Brazilian state. The sex ratio was 2.4. Overall, 48% of persons never went to school or beyond the primary level. The median time spent in gold mining was quite long (10 years), with a high turn-over. One third of the surveyed population (37.1%, 156/421) had high blood pressure, and only two had a medical follow-up. Most persons had experienced malaria (89.3%, 376/421). They declared frequent arboviroses and digestive disorders. Active leishmaniasis was observed in 8.3% of gold miners. Among women, 28.5% were anemic. Concerning HIV, 36.6% (154/421) of persons, mainly men, never got tested before and 6 were tested positive, which represented an HIV prevalence of 1.43% (95%CI =0.29-2.5).CONCLUSION:These findings support the hypothesis that mining in remote areas is linked to several specific illnesses. Theoretically, gold miners would be presumed to start their economical migration to French Guiana as a healthy group. However, their strenuous working and living conditions there lead to poor health caused by infectious and non infectious diseases. This description of their health status is precious for health policy planners in French Guiana given the importance of controlling communicable disease, and the severity and range of specific illnesses acquired by this neglected population.TRIAL REGISTRATION:Clinical trial registration PRS N° NCT02903706 . Retrospectively registered 09/13/2016.
ISSN: 1471-2458

inserm-01566314
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-01566314
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-01566314/document
http://www.hal.inserm.fr/inserm-01566314/file/2017%2C%20Douine%20-%20Illegal%20gold%20miners%20in%20French%20Guiana.pdf
DOI : 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)62169-1

Éditeur(s) : Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd
Résumé : Total mercury (HgT) and monomethylmercury (MMHg) were investigated in a tropical head watershed (1 km(2)) of French Guiana. The watershed includes a pristine area on the hill slopes and a former gold mined flat in the bottomland. Concentrations of dissolved and particulate HgT and MMHg were measured in rain, throughfall, soil water and at three points along the stream. Samples were taken in-between and during 14 storm events at the beginning and middle of the 2005 and 2006 rainy seasons. Dissolved and particulate HgT concentrations in the stream slightly increased downstream, while dissolved and particulate MMHg concentrations were low at the pristine sub-watershed outlet (median = 0.006 ng L-1 and 1.84 ng g(-1), respectively) and sharply increased at the gold mined flat outlet (median = 0.056 ng L-1 and 6.80 ng g(-1), respectively). Oxisols, which are dominant in the pristine area act as a sink of HgT and MMHg from rain and throughfall inputs. Hydromorphic soils in the flat are strongly contaminated with Hg (including Hg droplets) and their structure has been disturbed by former gold-mining processes, leading to multiple stagnant water areas where biogeochemical conditions are favorable for methylation. In the former gold mined flat high dissolved MMHg concentrations (up to 0.8 ng L-1) were measured in puddles or suboxic soil pore waters, whereas high dissolved HgT concentrations were found in lower Eh conditions. Iron-reducing bacteria were suggested as the main methylators since highest concentrations for dissolved MMHg were associated with high dissolved ferrous iron concentrations. The connection between saturated areas and stagnant waters with the hydrographic network during rain events leads to the export of dissolved MMHg and HgT in stream waters, especially at the beginning of the rainy season. As both legal and illegal gold-mining continues to expand in French Guiana, an increase in dissolved and particulate MMHg emissions in the hydrographic network is expected. This will enhance MMHg bio-amplification and present a threat to local populations, whose diet relies mainly on fish.
Water Research (0043-1354) (Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd), 2011-04 , Vol. 45 , N. 8 , P. 2659-2669

Droits : 2011 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00035/14628/12134.pdf
DOI:10.1016/j.watres.2011.02.022
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00035/14628/

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD BioMed Central
Résumé : International audience
BackgroundMalaria is endemic in French Guiana, an overseas territory of France on the Guiana Shield. Since 2005, notified malaria cases are decreasing. However, new data show that malaria affects many Brazilian gold miners working illegally in French Guiana, the majority of whom are not counted in official data. In addition, one major concern is the usual practice of improper self-treatment in this mining population, raising fear of the development of antimalarial resistance. This prospective study, conducted in 2015, aimed to estimate the prevalence of Plasmodium spp. in illegal gold miners working in French Guiana. MethodsThe recruitment of gold miners was carried out in resting sites along the French Guiana-Suriname border, where they go for supplies, medical care or leisure. After recording agreement, three malaria diagnostic methods were performed: rapid diagnostic test, microscopy and PCR,ResultsAmong 421 persons recruited in the study, malaria prevalence, detected by nested-PCR, was 22.3% (CI=[18.3-26.3], n=94/421) of which 84% were asymptomatic. ConclusionThis significant malaria reservoir in a mobile and illegal population with difficult access to a health care system raises the threat of artemisinin resistance and puts the population of the Guiana Shield at risk of new transmission foci while countries of the region aim at malaria elimination. Even though French legislation may hamper dealing with this population, France must face the reality of malaria in illegal gold miners in order to meet its commitment to malaria elimination.
ISSN: 1475-2875

hal-01346800
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01346800
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01346800/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01346800/file/2016%2C%20Douine%20-%20Prevalence%20of%20Plasmodium%20spp.%20in%20illegal%20gold%20miners%20in%20French%20Guiana%20in%202015.pdf
DOI : 10.1186/s12936-016-1367-6