Children in some poor rural communities in the Philippines, some as young as 13, are making a living for their families by diving into deep underwater tunnels to dig for gold in a dangerous practice known as compressor mining. Compressor mining originated in the Philippines in the mid-1990s. The practice was inspired by fishermen, who used the compressor motors, which push air through a thin tube, to dive deep underwater to catch reef fish. But with the potential for engine breakdowns and tunnel collapses, it’s an extremely dangerous venture. 15-year-old diver Elias Delima said he makes double that of other miners, around $5 a day. When asked why he takes the risk, he said, “ To get gold, to help my parents, and to have some money for myself.” Compressor mining was officially outlawed in the Philippines in 2012, but still goes on in outlying areas like the small village of Santa Milagrosa. Miners there pay local police $11 a month per worker to look the other way. Beyond the immediate danger of the unregulated industry, Julie Hall of the World Health Organization says compressor mining also poses longer-term health risks for children, including the poor quality of air pushed through the compressor engines and the effects of water pressure on the body. “It’s likely that that air that’s sucked through the tube will be mixed with diesel fumes, with carbon monoxide, with other pollutants, because it’s very close to the engine that’s driving the compressor,” she said. “The body’s under a lot of pressure. Little gas bubbles can form in your bloodstream, and those gas bubbles can block off the blood supply to little bits of your brain or little bits of your lung.”
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 19:43:51 +0000
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