924 Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, October 2019, Vol. 10, No. 10 10.5958/0976-5506.2019.02939.

Gold Mining and its Impact on Agricultural Land, Public

Health, Violation of the Law: A Study on
Poboya Traditional Mining, Palu, Indonesia

Golar1*, Muhammad Basir-Cyio2, Muhammad Rusydi3, Rahmat Bakri4, Bohari5,

Muhammad Fardhal Pratama2, Muhammad Alfit A. Laihi2
1Faculty of Forestry, Tadulako University, City of Palu, Indonesia, 2Faculty of Agriculture, Tadulako University,
City of Palu, Indonesia, 3Faculty of Math and Science, Tadulako University, City of Palu, Indonesia, 4Faculty of
Law, Tadulako University, City of Palu, Indonesia, 5Nutrition Department, Faculty of Public Health, Tadulako
University, City of Palu, Indonesia

Abstract
The purpose of the present study was analyzing public health, social economy and law enforcement efforts
of the community around Poboyagold mine area. The research method was quantitative survey on the
community around Poboya gold mine area, Palu. The sample was 125 people. The research variables were
public health status, social economy, and law enforcement effort. The data analysis was descriptive analysis
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on each variable. The research result was the common health issues among the respondents in the past month
were skin diseases(75.2%), ARI (65.60%), hypertension (42,40%) and cramping on legs/arms(35.20%). The
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public health status was mostly normal (IMT 18.5-25.0) (48.00%) and underweight (IMT < 18.5) (42.40%).
The occupations were gold miners (52.00%)and farmers (38.40%). The respondents’ income was low,
although most of the respondents were miners. The common types of crime around the gold mine area based
on people’s reports were harassment (72.0%), fraud (68.0%), and prostitution (60.0%). The conclusion is
gold mine location near human settlements causes health issues related to mining activities, such as mercury
exposure and change of occupation and land conversion, as well as high crime rate in the mining area which
raises concerns among the community around the mine area.

Keywords: Public health status, income, criminality.

Introduction Quality Standard wells in Palu had mercury content

Traditional mining activities in Poboya, Palu
have been happening since 2008. These activities
have a positive impact, i.e. opening employment,
but also negative impacts in the form of reduced
environmental quality and potential of damaging
conservation area. The gold mine activities use
mercury and potentially contaminate 400 thousand
people living in Palu. A study by the Department
of Health of Palu in 2014 showed that 7 of 10
samples of Clean Water
*Corresponding Author:
Golar
Faculty of Forestry, Tadulako University, City of Palu,
Indonesia
e-mail: golar_untad@yahoo.co.id
of 0.005 ppm1.
Generally, traditional gold mines use mercury in
mining activities to absorb gold from rocks. Mercury
usage could impact public health2, environmental
degradation, which in the long term may reduce
land productivity3. A previous study in Poboya
find agricultural land conversion into gold mine area
with very high level of mercury pollution4.
Economically mining activities give revenue to the
state and local government. However, mining activities
also have massive and significant environmental and
social impacts. The research result shows that the land/
soil damage level in the gold mine location is severe
and causes physical environmental impacts, such as soil
degradation, loss of nutrients for plant growth, reduced
surface water discharge, high traffic causing road
damage and air pollution.
 Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, October 2019, Vol. 10, No. 10 925
Gold mine is an opportunity for farmers to get Result
better quality of life because for most people farming
Table 1: Health Issues of Community around
only provides food while gold mining yields income5.
Poboya Gold Mine Area
Agricultural production lowered in 2009 in Bombana
mine. Beside due to draught caused by long dry season, Yes No
it also happened because some farmers left their Health Issue N
n % n %
agricultural lands to be gold miners despite their lack Tremor 16 12.80 109 87.20 125
of experience, in order to get instant revenue. Unlike Reduced hearing 11 8.80 114 91.20 125
agricultural activities which require a long time to reap Reduced visibility 28 22.40 97 77.60 125
the result, the income from mining can be obtained in a
Unsteady walk 20 16.00 105 84.00 125
day 6.
Cramping on leg/arm 44 35.20 81 64.80 125
Potential crimes in the community around the Skin disease 94 75.20 31 24.80 125
mine area are caused by a stipulation in Article 162 of ARI 82 65.60 43 34.40 125
Mineral and Coal Law, which regulates punishment for Vertigo 35 28.00 90 72.00 125
every person hindering or disturbing mining business Hypertension 53 42.40 72 57.60 125
only with reference to Article 136 on settlement of land
rights. Environmental conservation. Many miners don’t Table 1 shows that the common health issues in the
pay attention to good mining techniques in terms of past month were skin disease (75.2%), ARI diseases
conservation of reserve, occupational health and safety, (65.60%), hypertension (42.40%) and cramping on legs/
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and environmental management arms 35.20%.

Table 2 Nutritional Status of Community around

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The purpose of the present study was analyzing

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public health, social economy and law enforcement Poboya Gold Mine Area
efforts of the community around Poboya gold mine area. Nutritional Status n %
Underweight 53 42.40
Method
Normal 60 48.00
The research method was quantitative survey on Overweight 12 9.60
the community around Poboya gold mine area, Palu in Total 125 100.00
2019. The research sample was people living in Poboya
Urban Village, Palu. The research sample was 125 Table 2 shows that the nutritional status of most of
people. the community was normal (IMT 18.5-25.0) (48.00%)
and underweight (IMT < 18.5) (42.40%).
The research variables were public health status,
social economy, and law enforcement effort. Public Table 3 Occupation of Community around the
health status was measured by questionnaire to Mining Area
determine health issues in the past month related to
Occupation of Community around the
mercury exposure, and assessment of the respondents’ Mining Area
n %
nutritional status anthropometrically by body mass
Employee 12 9.60
index. The social economic data of the society included
Farmer 48 38.40
occupation and income. The law enforcement effort
Miner 65 52.00
was analysis of legal issues faced by the society
Total 125 100.00
related to the activities and presence of the gold
mine. The data analysis was descriptive analysis on Table 3 shows that most of the community were gold
each variable using SPSS software. miners (52.00%) and 38.40% were farmers, particularly
shallot farmers.
 926 Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, October 2019, Vol. 10, No. 10
Table 4 Income of Community around Poboya Gold Table 4 shows that in general, the respondents’
Mine Area income was low although most of the respondents were
miners.
Income of Community around Poboya
n %
Gold Mine Area
>Rp 3,000,000 35 28.00
Rp 2,000,000 - 3,000,000 48 38.40
<Rp2,000,000 42 33.60
Total 125 100.00

Table 5 Crime Rate of the Gold Mine Area

Rare Frequent Very Frequent

Crime Rate of the Gold Mine Area N
n % n % n %
Fight among miners 69 55.20 34 27.20 22 17.60 125
Gambling 68 54.40 50 40.00 7 5.60 125
Prostitution 35 28.00 75 60.00 15 12.00 125
Fraud 20 16.00 85 68.00 20 16.00 125
Harassment 25 20.00 90 72.00 10 8.00 125
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Table 5 shows that the common type of crime in the
gold mine area based on people’s reports was harassment
(72.0%), fraud (68.0%), and prostitution (60.0%).
Discussion
The research result shows that gold mining activities
had risks against the environment, economy, social, and
health aspects. Polluted environment slowly lowered
public health. The common health issues among the
community living around the mining area were ARI
diseases, skin diseases, hypertension and cramping on
legs/arms.
Another study shows that the disease types suffered
by gold miners affect some body organs, causing
symptoms of chronic and acute diseases7. Moreover,
mercury concentration in water, fishes, and vegetables
is significantly related to health risks due to mercury
exposure among people around community gold mines8.
Miners and community around mines are usually
contaminated with mercury through direct contact with
skin, mercury vapor inhalation and consumption of
fishes exposed to mercury9.
The research result showed that gold mining
activities caused people to change their jobs from farmer
to miner, but they still had low income. However, another
study shows that gold mine requires a large number of
workers, increasing the income of local communities.
Lowered revenue of agricultural business after the
mine opens is caused by increased wage as scarcity
of agricultural workers because they switch to mining
leads to increased wage10. Change from farmer to
miner and land conversion into gold mine ( F i g . 1 )
were caused by economic demands. The study
shows that gold mining is an occupation to improve and
fulfill people’s economic needs11. Gold mine fulfills
and improves family welfare. Moreover, the negative
impact of illegal gold mine is children choosing to
mine gold rather than going to school 12.
One of the social impacts of gold mine was crime
and the common type of crime was fight among miners.
High crime rate in the mining area wasn’t addressed
completely, increasing people’s concern. Fights among
ulayat land owners and theft in houses of people who
own a lot of gold cause people to worry10. In terms
of security, there were classes between native people
and migrants which killed some miners, as well as
theft. The study showed that there were some factors
surrounding each type of crime, but it’s concluded that
the dominant factors are needs (individual), situation
and condition of mining community and opportunity.
Regarding murder, the dominant factor was
uncontrollable emotion. To prevent crime, the
policy, task unit and miner group leaders guarded,
checked and performed searches as preventative
measures13.
 Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, October 2019, Vol. 10, No. 10
Fig. 1 The Forest Land changes caused the illegal mining activity
Conclusion
Gold mine near human settlement causes health
issues related to mining activities, such as mercury
exposure, and change of occupation and land conversion,
as well as high crime rate in the mine area which worry
the community around the mine area.
Ethical Clearance: Taken from Faculty of Public
Health Tadulako University committee.
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Source of Funding: Research grant from the
Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education,
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Republic of Indonesia
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Conflict of Interest: None
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