Study warns of radioactive food

Study warns of radioactive food
Elise Tempelhoff, Beeld

Johannesburg - Meat, fish, milk, maize and other crops produced near Wonderfontein Spruit in Gauteng are probably harmful to people as they are seriously contaminated by, among others, radioactive pollutants. This pollution affects the area between Randfontein and Potchefstroom. International experts say people who eat or drink these products could suffer liver or kidney failure or get cancer. It could also hamper children's growth and cause mental disability.

According to findings in a report compiled by German physicists under Dr Rainer Barthel from BS Associates, the water from the Wonderfontein Spruit, which was used to irrigate the crops, had absorbed polonium and lead, the radioactive by products of uranium and radium.

Cattle also contaminated
Cattle drinking from the Wonderfontein Spruit that churned up the uranium-rich mud, were also contaminated by these radioactive pollutants. Their meat and milk would also probably be poisonous.

This report by the Germans, known as the Brenk report, was compiled on request of the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR), who refused to make the contents known for the past three months. Beeld obtained excerpts from the report.

Maurice Magugumela, chief official of the NNR, upon enquiry said "there is no reason for concern". He said the NNR was studying the report and has had "several talks with those involved".

Barthel was prevented from delivering two speeches from the report at the Environmin 2007 conference at the Pilanesberg nature reserve two weeks ago. He had to withdraw these speeches at short notice. These two excerpts had by then already been included in the literature distributed at the conference.

Natural water sources unsafe
Barthel and his co-authors came to the conclusion in the report that the land in this area - where more than 400 000 people live in Randfontein, Bekkersdal, Carletonville, Westonaria, Khutsong and Welverdiend - was seriously polluted by overflow from sludge dams during 100 years of mining.

People in towns in this area received their drinking water from Rand Water, but people on farms and informal settlements were reliant on water from Wonderfontein Spruit.

Sandy Carroll, who was recently appointed environmental manager at Harmony Gold, admitted that the mining groups were informed about the dangers indicated in the report. She said Harmony was talking to NNR and they were together seeking solutions.

The West Rand district municipality planned to erect notices warning people along the Wonderfontein Spruit (which runs for 100km) not to use the water.

Carroll replied in an e-mail to Beeld's enquiries: "Alternative water sources will be suggested."

The report stressed that there was no natural water in the whole area that was safe for use by humans, animals or plants.

Tested cabbage
Mariette Lieffering, an environmental activist who established the Public Environmental Arbiters (PEA), said it was "surprising" that Magugumela could state there was no reason for concern for the residents in the area. She has just written to the Human Rights Commission to step in.

• A cabbage that was irrigated with water from the Wonderfontein Spruit catchment area and which was analysed by Dr Francois Durand, zoology lecturer at the University of Johannesburg, was found to contain 153 times more aluminium, 680 times more iron, 590 times more manganese, 980 times more vanadium that was recommended for human and also had too much zinc.

Source:News24

See also: http://www.environment.co.za/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1124