Mercury in Soil and Forage Plants from Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in the Bombana Area, Indonesia.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Basri
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7151729 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Mercury in Soil and Forage Plants from Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in the Bombana Area, Indonesia.
Basri Sakakibara Masayuki M Sera Koichiro K
Toxics 20200222 1
Mercury (Hg) contamination in soil and forage plants is toxic to ecosystems, and artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is the main source of such pollution in the Bombana area of Indonesia. Hg contamination in soil and forage plants was investigated by particle-induced X-ray emission analysis of samples collected from three savannah areas (i.e., ASGM, commercial mining, and control areas) in the Bombana area. Hg contents of forage plants in the ASGM area (mean 9.90 ± 14 µg/g) exceeded tho ...[more]
Similar Datasets
Project description:Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is a significant contributor of mercury (Hg) contamination and deforestation across the globe. In the Colorado River watershed in Madre de Dios, Peru, mining and deforestation have increased exponentially since the 1980s, resulting in major socioeconomic shifts in the region and two national state of emergency (2016 and 2019) in response to concerns for wide-scale mercury poisoning by these activities. This research employed a watershed-scale soil particle detachment model and environmental field sampling to estimate the role of land cover change and soil erosion on river transport of Hg in a heavily ASGM-impacted watershed. The model estimated that observed decreases in forest cover increased soil mobilization by a factor of two in the Colorado River watershed during the 18 year period and by 4-fold in the Puquiri subwatershed (the area of most concentrated ASGM activity). If deforestation continues to increase at its current exponential rate through 2030, the annual mobilization of soil and Hg may increase by an additional 20-25% relative to 2014 levels. While, the estimated total mass of Hg transported by rivers is substantially less than the estimated tons of Hg used with ASGM in Peru, this research shows that deforestation associated with ASGM is an additional mechanism for mobilizing naturally occurring and anthropogenic Hg from terrestrial landscapes to aquatic environments in the region, potentially leading to bioaccumulation in fish and exposure to communities downstream.
| S-EPMC7244384 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND: Artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is a poverty-driven activity practiced in over 70 countries worldwide. Zimbabwe is amongst the top ten countries using large quantities of mercury to extract gold from ore. This analysis was performed to check data availability and derive a preliminary estimate of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to mercury use in ASGM in Zimbabwe. METHODS: Cases of chronic mercury intoxication were identified following an algorithm using mercury-related health effects and mercury in human specimens. The sample prevalence amongst miners and controls (surveyed by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization in 2004 and the University of Munich in 2006) was determined and extrapolated to the entire population of Zimbabwe. Further epidemiological and demographic data were taken from the literature and missing data modeled with DisMod II to quantify DALYs using the methods from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2004 update published by the World Health Organization (WHO). While there was no disability weight (DW) available indicating the relative disease severity of chronic mercury intoxication, the DW of a comparable disease was assigned by following the criteria 1) chronic condition, 2) triggered by a substance, and 3) causing similar health symptoms. RESULTS: Miners showed a sample prevalence of 72% while controls showed no cases of chronic mercury intoxication. Data availability is very limited why it was necessary to model data and make assumptions about the number of exposed population, the definition of chronic mercury intoxication, DW, and epidemiology. If these assumptions hold, the extrapolation would result in around 95,400 DALYs in Zimbabwe's total population in 2004. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis provides a preliminary quantification of the mercury-related health burden from ASGM based on the limited data available. If the determined assumptions hold, chronic mercury intoxication is likely to have been one of the top 20 hazards for population health in Zimbabwe in 2004 when comparing with more than 130 categories of diseases and injuries quantified in the WHO's GBD 2004 update. Improving data quality would allow more accurate estimates. However, the results highlight the need to reduce a burden which could be entirely avoided.
| S-EPMC4290131 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND: Mercury (Hg) is used in gold mining to extract gold from ore by forming "amalgam"-a mixture composed of approximately equal parts mercury and gold. Approximately 15 million people, including approximately 3 million women and children, participate in artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in developing countries. Thirty-seven percent of global air emissions of Hg are produced by ASGM. The recently adopted Minamata Convention calls for nations to gather health data, train health-care workers, and raise awareness in regard to ASGM activity. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our review was to evaluate the current literature regarding the health effects of Hg among those working and/or living in or near ASGM communities. METHODS: We searched PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar for studies relating to health effects and biomarkers of Hg exposure in ASGM communities. Articles published from 1990 through December 2012 were evaluated for relevance. DISCUSSION: Studies reporting health assessments, kidney dysfunction, neurological disorders and symptoms, and immunotoxicity/autoimmune dysfunction in individuals living in or near an ASGM community were identified. More than 60 studies that measured biomarkers of Hg exposure in individuals living in or near ASGM communities were also identified. These studies, conducted in 19 different countries in South America, Asia, and Africa, demonstrated that hair and urine concentrations are well above World Health Organization health guidance values in ASGM communities. CONCLUSIONS: ASGM workers and their families are exposed to Hg vapor, and workers, workers' families, and residents of nearby and downstream communities are consuming fish heavily contaminated with methylmercury.
| S-EPMC4080518 | biostudies-literature
Project description:In artisanal and small-scale gold mining, occupational exposure to mercury (Hg) vapor is related to harmful effects on several organs, including the kidneys. We previously reported significantly increased levels of Hg in blood and urine despite normal kidney function in individuals from Colombia occupationally exposed to Hg compared with those nonexposed. We evaluated the contribution of 4 genetic variants in key genes encoding the transporters solute carrier (SLC; rs4149170 and rs4149182) and ATP-binding cassette(ABC; rs1202169 and rs1885301) in the pathogenesis of nephrotoxicity due to Hg exposure in these groups. Regression analysis was performed to determine the association between the blood- and urine-Hg concentration with SLC and ABC polymorphisms in 281 Colombian individuals (160 exposed and 121 nonexposed to Hg). We found an enrichment of ABCB1 rs1202169-T allele in the exposed group (p = .011; OR= 2.05; 95% CI = 1.18-3.58) compared with the nonexposure group. We also found that carriers of SLC22A8 rs4149182-G and ABCB1 rs1202169-T alleles had a higher urinary clearance rate of Hg than noncarriers (β = 0.13, p = .04), whereas carriers of SLC22A6 rs4149170-A and ABCB1 rs1202169-C alleles showed abnormal levels of estimated glomerular filtration rate (β = -84.96, p = .040) and beta-2-microglobulin (β = 743.38, p < .001). Our results suggest that ABCB1 rs1202169 and its interaction with SLC22A8 rs4149182 and SLC22A6 rs4149170 could mitigate Hg nephrotoxicity by controlling the renal proximal tubule cell accumulation of inorganic Hg. This will be useful to estimate the risk of kidney toxicity associated to Hg and the genetic selection to aid adaptation to Hg-rich environments.
| S-EPMC7825076 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Human exposure to mercury is a leading public health problem. Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is a major source of global mercury emissions. Although occupational mercury exposure to miners (via mercury vapor inhalation) is known, chronic mercury exposure to nearby residents that are not miners (via mercury-contaminated fish consumption) is poorly characterized. We conducted a population-based mercury exposure assessment in 23 communities (19 rural, 4 urban) around the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve, which is bordered on the east by heavy ASGM activity. We measured total mercury in hair (N = 2083) and blood (N = 476) from March-June 2015 and performed follow-up measurements (N = 723 hair and N = 290 blood) from February-April 2016. Mercury exposure risk was highest in communities classified as indigenous, or native, regardless of proximity to mining activity. Residence in a native community (vs. non-native) was associated with mercury levels 1.9 times higher in hair (median native 3.5 ppm vs. median non-native 1.4 ppm total mercury) and 1.6 times higher in blood (median native 7.4 ng/mL vs median non-native 3.2 ng/mL total mercury). Unexpectedly, proximity to mining was not associated with exposure risk. These findings challenge common assumptions about mercury exposure patterns and emphasize the importance of population-representative studies to identify high risk sub-populations.
| S-EPMC8281380 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in Madre de Dios, Peru, continues to expand rapidly, raising concerns about increases in loading of mercury (Hg) to the environment. We measured physicochemical parameters in water and sampled and analyzed sediments and fish from multiple sites along one ASGM-impacted river and two unimpacted rivers in the region to examine whether Hg concentrations were elevated and possibly related to ASGM activity. We also analyzed the 308 fish samples, representing 36 species, for stable isotopes (?15N and ?13C) to estimate their trophic position. Trophic position was positively correlated with the log-transformed Hg concentrations in fish among all sites. There was a lack of relationship between Hg concentrations in fish and either Hg concentrations in sediments or ASGM activity among sites, suggesting that fish Hg concentrations alone is not an ideal bioindicator of site-specific Hg contamination in the region. Fish Hg concentrations were not elevated in the ASGM-impacted river relative to the other two rivers; however, sediment Hg concentrations were highest in the ASGM-impacted river. Degraded habitat conditions and commensurate shifts in fish species and ecological processes may influence Hg bioaccumulation in the ASGM-impacted river. More research is needed on food web dynamics in the region to elucidate any effects caused by ASGM, especially through feeding relationships and food sources.
| S-EPMC6121527 | biostudies-other
Project description:Children living near artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) are at risk of exposure to mercury, a neurotoxicant. It is not certain whether such exposures are harming development, as they occur in underresourced contexts entwined with other stressors, such as malnutrition and enteric infection. This study sought to investigate the association between hair-mercury levels and visual-motor, cognitive, and physical development among children living near ASGM in the Peruvian Amazon. Total hair-mercury levels were measured in 164 children ages 5-12 living in Madre de Dios, Peru. Primary outcomes included Visual-Motor Integration assessed via the Beery-VMI Developmental Test, General Cognitive Ability assessed via the Batería-III Woodcock-Munoz (Spanish-language Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities), and Physical Health assessed via anthropometry/hemoglobin counts. Mean (SD) hair-mercury level was 2.06 (2.43) ?g/g. Fifty-four children (32.9%) had hair-mercury levels above the World Health Organization reference level of 2.0 ?g/g. After controlling for sex, child age, maternal education, and family socioeconomic status, each one unit increase in log hair-mercury level was associated with a 1.01 unit decrease in Visual-Motor Integration (95%CI: -2.06, 0.05, p = 0.061), a 2.59 unit decrease in General Cognitive Ability (95%CI: -4.52, -0.66, p = 0.012), and a 2.43 unit decrease in Physical Health (95%CI: -5.34, 0.49, p = 0.096). After adjustment for covariates, children with hair-mercury levels exceeding the World Health Organization reference level scored 4.68 IQ points lower in Cognitive Ability than their peers. Mercury exposures related to ASGM may be harming child development in the Peruvian Amazon. Children in this region may benefit from intervention to reach their full developmental potential.
| S-EPMC7240868 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Total mercury content (THg) in hair is an accepted biomarker for chronic dietary methylmercury (MeHg) exposure. In artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) communities, the validity of this biomarker is questioned because of the potential for contamination from inorganic mercury. As mining communities may have both inorganic and organic mercury exposures, the efficacy of the hair-THg biomarker needs to be evaluated, particularly as nations begin population exposure assessments under their commitments to the Minamata Convention. We sought to validate the efficacy of hair THg for public health monitoring of MeHg exposures for populations living in ASGM communities. We quantified both THg and MeHg contents in hair from a representative subset of participants (N = 287) in a large, population-level mercury exposure assessment in the ASGM region in Madre de Dios (MDD), Peru. We compared population MeHg-THg correlations and %MeHg values with demographic variables including community location, sex, occupation, and nativity. We observed that hair MeHg-THg correlations were high (r > 0.7) for all communities, regardless of location or nativity. Specifically, for individuals within ASGM communities, 81% (121 of 150 total) had hair THg predominantly in the form of MeHg (i.e., >66% of THg) and reflective of dietary exposure to mercury. Furthermore, for individuals with hair THg exceeding the U.S. EPA threshold (1.0 μg/g), 88 out of 106 (83%) had MeHg as the predominant form. As a result, had urine THg solely been used for mercury exposure monitoring, approximately 59% of the ASGM population would have been misclassified as having low mercury exposure. Our results support the use of hair THg for monitoring of MeHg exposure of populations in ASGM settings where alternative biomarkers of MeHg exposure are not feasible.
| S-EPMC8707462 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background:Artisanal and small-scale gold mining is a human health concern, especially in low-income countries like Uganda due to the use of mercury (Hg) in the mining process. Objective:The aim of the present study was to assess Hg exposure among artisanal and small-scale gold miners in Uganda through biologic monitoring parameters and Hg-related clinical manifestations. Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted from June to July 2018 among 183 miners from Ibanda (Western region), Mubende (Central region), Amudat (Karamoja region) and Busia (Eastern region) in Uganda. An interviewer-administered questionnaire and health assessment were used to collect socio-demographic, exposure and self-reported Hg poisoning symptoms. In addition, 41 urine, 41 blood and 26 environment samples were assessed. Descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test for comparison of Hg levels in urine and blood among miners were performed while logistic regression was used to assess associations between exposure and Hg poisoning-related symptoms. Results:The miners ranged from 15 to 65 years old and were primarily male (72.6%). The majority (73.3%) had worked directly with Hg for an average duration of 5.3 years. Symptoms associated with working directly with Hg included chest pain (odds ratio (OR)=9.0, confidence interval (CI)=3.3 to 24.6), numbness (OR=8.5, CI=2.1 to 34.4), back pain (OR=6.2, CI= 2.2 to 17.5), fatigue and stress (OR=5.4, 2.0 to CI=14.9), headache (OR=4.7, CI=1.9 to 11.3), dizziness (OR=3.8, CI=1.5 to 9.7) joint pain (OR=3.2, CI=1.3 to 8.3) and respiratory problems (3.2, 1.0 to 10.1). Statistically significant differences in Hg levels with p-values less than 0.05 were observed across district, gender and type of work. Mubende had the highest blood and urine levels (136 ?g/l and 105.5 ?g/l) in comparison with Busia (60 ?g/l and 70.6 ?g/l) and Ibanda (43 ?g/l and 58 ?g/l). Females (84.7 ?g/l), panners (109 ?g/l) and those with knowledge of occupational health and safety measures (95.6 ?g/l) reported higher levels of Hg in urine. The average levels of Hg in water and soil samples were 23.79 ?g/l and 0.21 ?g/l, respectively. Conclusions:Variation in Hg levels were attributed to varied duration of exposure across geographical sites. There was considerable exposure to Hg as indicated by both clinical manifestations and biologic parameters among miners in Uganda with Hg in urine exceeding the recommended thresholds. Participant Consent:Obtained. Ethics Approval:Ethical approval was obtained from the Makerere University School of Health Science Institutional Review Board (reference number SHSREC REF 2018-2019) and Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (reference number SS 4577). Competing Interests:The authors declare no competing financial interests.
| S-EPMC7269329 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) represents a significant economic activity for communities in developing countries. In southeastern Senegal, this activity has increased in recent years and has become the main source of income for the local population. However, it is also associated with negative environmental, social, and health impacts. Considering the recent development of ASGM in Senegal and the difficulties of the government in monitoring and regulating this activity, this article proposes a method for detecting and mapping ASGM sites in Senegal using Sentinel 2 data and the Google Earth Engine. Two artisanal mining sites in Senegal are selected to test this approach. Detection and mapping are achieved following a processing pipeline. Principal component analysis (PCA) is applied to determine the optimal period of the year for mapping. Separability and threshold (SEaTH) is used to determine the optimal bands or spectral indices to discriminate ASGM from other land use. Finally, automatic classification and mapping of the scenes are achieved with support vector machine (SVM) classifier. The results are then validated based on field observations. The PCA and examination of spectral signatures as a function of time indicate that the best period for discriminate ASGM sites against other types of land use is the end of dry season, when vegetation is minimal. The classification results are presented as a map with different categories of land use. This method could be applied to future Sentinel scenes to monitor the evolution of mining sites and may also be extrapolated to other relevant areas in the Sahel.
| S-EPMC7705338 | biostudies-literature