Human exposure to Mercury

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Scope

This assessment is based on activities of small scale gold mine and its mercury release to the environment Mercury is a ubiquitous heavy metal in the environment. Small scale artisanal gold mining contributes more to its amount in the environment. Humans are vulnerable to its intoxication, most especially children

Question

Does small scale artisanal gold mining activities pose adverse effects on humans.

Participants

The residents in a gold mine area and the gold miners will be recruited in a mining community

Boundaries

Urine and hair mercury levels are to be measured for all the participants, ensuring all the participants consume fish from the lake in the community. Surveys will be given to the participants to know how often they consume fish from the lake, who amongs them have contact with mercury and how often.

Decisions and scenarios

What measures should be taken, if the mercury level in the participants are above the WHO requirements? What protective measures should be proposed concerning the small scale artisanal gold mining?

Timing

The study will be continous to determine the mercury level in the participants and to observe any health effect, if any. The assessment will be made every 2months as hair mercury level has half life of 35-100days and decision will be made after 6months of commencement of the assessment based on the study results.

Answer

Results

Both urine and hair mercury levels were high in participants having direct contact with mercury. Hair mercury level was also high in participants that consumes fish at least once on a weekly basis while there was no significant difference in the urine level.

Conclusions

Exposure to mercury from small scale artisanal gold mining poses serious threat to human health.Thus, the workers will be enlightened on taking necessary protective measures like chemical protective clothing and safety goggles. Also, mercury-alternates for amalgamation would be prescribed. Waste release from the mine will be controlled due to it effect on the aquatic ecosystem which indirectly affect humans through food chain

Rationale

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Figure 1: Mercury exposure in a small scale gold mine

UNEP stories of the month,Global Mercury partnership

Stakeholders

These are the city council as they are the decision makers, owners of the small scale gold mine and the populace. The populace are directly or indirectly affected healthwise as they consume fish from the lake and work in the gold mine.

Dependencies

Decisions are made by the decision holders based on the results.

Indices

Non-marginal indices of gender,occupation and fish consumption were used.

See also

Mercury risk assessment

Keywords

Mercury exposure,effect of mercury, mercury assessment