Environmental Assessment
Volume B-5.4
Mine
Human and Ecological Health
Ambatovy Project
385
January 2006
Table 5.4-8 Residual Impact Classification for the Mine Site on Human and
Aquatic Health Effects
Direction
Magnitude
Geographic
Extent
Duration
Reversibility
Frequency
Environmental
Consequence
Key Question HH-1 What Effect Will Chemical Releases From the Mine Site Have on Human Health?
negative
low to negligible
for all
parameters,
except
potentially high
for chrome
local
long-term
(operation and post-
closure)
reversible
high
low to negligible
for all
parameters
except
potentially high
for chrome
Key Question HH-2 What Effect Will Chemical Releases From the Mine Site Have on Livelihood Resources?
neutral
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Key Question EH-1 What Effect Will Chemical Releases From the Mine Site Have on Aquatic Life Health?
potentially
negative
low to negligible
local
long-term
(operation and post-
closure)
reversible
high
low to negligible
Note: n/a is not applicable (Neutral impacts not quantified).
5.4.4.7 Monitoring
In addition to monitoring described in the Water and Air Quality Sections, fish
tissue sampling is also recommended especially as regards chrome (for further
details refer to Environmental Management Plans, Volume B, Section 7).
5.4.5
Conclusions
The human and ecological health assessment evaluated the potential for adverse
effects to health associated with chemical emissions from the mine site in
combination with baseline conditions.
Potential impacts on human health due to possible changes in water, soil, air and
produce quality were considered negligible. Levels of chromium in fish tissue
may rise to levels of potential concern to human consumption. However, these
predictions were based on conservative predictive modeling with respect to
chromium release to the surface water. Also, site-specific bioconcentration
factors, i.e., factors estimated using fish species found in the mine study area,
may differ from the ones found in the literature and this apparent health risk may
prove negligible. Water and fish tissue monitoring are thus proposed to confirm
exposure and allow re-estimation of risk analyses presented here.
Impacts on livelihood resources, including agriculture, livestock and fisheries
due to changes in water quality during mine operation are considered negligible.
