Project Title: The effective utilization of molasses in the control of mosquito density-The attractive sugar bait field study at Bulyanhulu Gold Mining residential camp sites
Project Description: Bulyanhulu Gold Mine, located in Tanzania's Shinyanga region, is a significant mining operation which experiences dust from the roads within the camp, that are associated with health risks to workers and nearby communities. To manage this, the mine management has been using molasses (byproduct from sugar factory) to suppress dust. However, while effective, molasses also attracts Anopheles mosquitoes, raising the risk of malaria. To tackle both issues (dust and malaria transmission risks), a new method... Bulyanhulu Gold Mine, located in Tanzania's Shinyanga region, is a significant mining operation which experiences dust from the roads within the camp, that are associated with health risks to workers and nearby communities. To manage this, the mine management has been using molasses (byproduct from sugar factory) to suppress dust. However, while effective, molasses also attracts Anopheles mosquitoes, raising the risk of malaria. To tackle both issues (dust and malaria transmission risks), a new method is being explored that combines molasses with boric acid, so as to control dust and kill mosquitoes simultaneously. Boric acid is a weak, naturally occurring acid derived from boron, often found in the form of a white powder or crystalline substance. It has antiseptic, insecticidal, and antifungal properties, making it useful in various applications including; pest control, medical uses, industrial applications and household uses such as laundry detergents, and as a preservative. The study will evaluate how this approach could enhance existing mosquito control efforts at the mine. The project aims to address the dual challenges of dust suppression and mosquito control in the mining site. Besides, our studies led by Muyaga et al., in the semi-field conditions at Ifakara Mosquito City have shown promising results. The use of Attractive Toxic Sugar Baits, augmented with 2% boric acid, led to a 69.7% reduction in outdoor-biting mosquitoes, a 79.8% decrease in indoor-biting, and a 92.8% reduction in resting mosquitoes. This suggests that the approach could significantly improve mosquito control at the mine where the molasses is already being used for dust control. Therefore, Bulyanhulu Gold Mine has consulted the Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) to provide services in determining the optimal concentration of boric acid that can be used to treat their molasses for effective mosquito control. This will be a one-month consultancy project, during which we will develop and test various concentrations of boric acid in the molasses against malaria vectors at the mining site. The results will be provided before the mine applies the treated molasses to their roads
Principal Investigator : Emanuel Kaindoa
Department Name :
Time frame: (2024-09-20) - (2025-10-31)
BARRICK BULYANHULU GOLD MINE LIMITED (Normal)
External Collaborating Partners
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