The public health impacts of mining in Australia.

ABSTRACT: Australia is rich in minerals of commercial interest along with oil and gas, and mining activities are carried out in almost all states and territories. The public health impacts of mining on the Australian general population need to be addressed to enable a comprehensive cost-benefit assessment of these activities balanced against their broader impacts. This systematic search and thematic review of the literature evidenced that exposure to agents released during mining operations, such as cadmium, iron, manganese, zinc, arsenic and lead, is associated with neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases in adults and children. Mining of lead is specifically associated with negative fertility effects in men and with intellectual disability and impaired immune function in children. Asbestos mining i

SUBMITTER: Cortes-Ramirez J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12620608 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature