ARTISANAL MINING IN MOOK, RED SEA HILLS, NE SUDAN

Abstract

Gold mining has been recorded in Sudan since the time of Pharoah. But there has been an increase in mining activities during the last decade. Therefore a fresh look into the mining activities was taken up.Fifteen kilometers from Portsudan, the capital of Red Sea State, lies Mook area where the present study was carried out. This is the place where vat panning, ore crushing, ore panning with mercury amalgamation, milling of ore, and burning of amalgamate gold takes place. This involves hundreds of workers in the process of procuring gold.An attempt has been made to study this strategic area and the environmental implications it has on the mine workers.