Mining in focus
Nanotechnology is applicable across different
areas such as medicine, agriculture, and energy.
Mining is another area where nanotechnology can
be applied.
and because of fear and stigma, this could
discourage community members from visiting
a clinic to get tested for HIV. Superintendent
of occupational health and hygiene at Kumba
Iron Ore’s Sishen Mine, Dr Nothando
Moyo-Mubayiwa, mentions that, 10 years
ago, many people were unfamiliar with HIV,
although there were many HIV-related
deaths. She mentions that this stigma also
contributed to the HIV death toll because
people were unaware of their status due to
fear. Consequently, they succumbed to the
disease because of not receiving the necessary
treatment. “I would ask employees who came
to see me if they were taking any medication
and they would say ‘no’, but I could see on
their file that they were living with HIV and
were on antiretrovirals (ARVs),” she says.
In this situation, RDTs can also be useful
to members in mine communities as they, too,
can do the self-tests in the privacy of their
homes and, depending on the outcome of the
test, seek treatment or continue to lead healthy
lives, free of HIV.
Another advantage of RDTs is that they
can assist under-resourced health facilities in
mining communities. It is not uncommon to
find an entire community relying on a single
health-care facility. Sometimes the facility
might not have sufficient resources and staff
to accommodate all community members. In
this instance, RDTs can relieve some pressure
from the mine community’s health facilities.
Sikhwivhilu mentioned that, in addition to
HIV, the tests can be adapted to detect other
emerging diseases.
Another product, developed by the CSIR,
is the diabetes breath analyser, a breathalyser
to detect diabetes. Mwakikunga mentions
that the breathalyser would replace the
painful prick tests available on the market
currently. The breath analyser uses a micro-
nanochip that was first invented by Dr Bonex
between 2012 and 2013. Although the chip
has a distance of one micrometer between its
electrodes, it can harness nanoparticles for
various applications.
Gas sensors
Another application of nanotechnology
in the mining industry is related to the
development of gas sensors. “In terms of the
mining activities that are happening, there
are a number of noxious gases that are often
released underground. Some of them could
be a huge compromise to the lives of miners,”
explained Sikhwivhilu.
In his research study titled Towards
Safety from Toxic Gases in Underground
Mines Using Wireless Sensor Networks and
Ambient Intelligence, Isaac Osunmakinde
explains how efficiently monitoring the
concentration of toxic gases, especially in
other. That’s how you are able to tell that a
person is HIV positive or negative. If there
is no such a molecule in the blood sample to
interact with what we embolised on the surface
of this test device, then you are not going to
get an interaction; therefore, you are not going
to get a red colour if you are using a strip-
based type of technology,” says Sikhwivhilu.
RDTs can be produced in large scale and
would be ideal for the mining industry. In his
study titled The Impact of HIV/AIDS on the
South African Mining Industry, Izak Fourie
mentions that HIV/AIDS infections for a
mine can lead to lost productivity and medical
costs for employees infected with the virus.
HIV/AIDS has always been a sensitive
topic in many communities. One of the biggest
challenges in the fight against the disease is
getting people to know their status in order to
manage the disease. Health and safety is one of
the top priorities of a mine and in addition to
ensuring that a mine has minimal fatalities and
injuries, mines are also concerned about the
occupational health of the employees. HIV is
categorised as a parasitic occupational disease
and most mine companies have health facilities
and programmes in place to assist infected
employees.
Most mines are often located in remote
locations, forcing mine employees to be away
from home for long periods while working
on the mine. During that time, there are
many factors which could lead to employees
becoming infected with the disease. Without
being aware of their status, infected employees
could easily and unwillingly infect their
partners when they return home. With RDTs,
mine employees can quickly and easily conduct
a self-test, which will make them aware of
their status. In so doing, they can take the
necessary precautions and/or treatment to keep
themselves and their partners healthy.
RDTs are also useful for communities
located close to the mines. Again, the disease
can easily spread across a mine community
if people are unaware of their status. Most
communities are small and close-knit
The front and back of the CSIR’s diabetes breath analyser.
www.miningmirror.co.za
APRIL 2019 MINING MIRROR [31]