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Health Impact Assessment of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Area in Myanmar, Mandalay Region: Preliminary Research. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17186757. [PMID: 32948054 PMCID: PMC7557834 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17186757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Increasing artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in developing countries has raised health concerns in mining communities. A preliminary health survey was conducted in Thabeikkyin Township, Mandalay Region, Myanmar, in February 2020 to assess the health conditions of an ASGM community. Respiratory function and other clinical assessments were evaluated in miners and non-miners, and participants’ hair was analyzed for heavy metals. Respiratory function of miners was similar to that of non-miners. However, miners’ respiratory function declined with longer mining activity duration. In total, 3 out of 18 miners showed neurological signs and symptoms of chronic mercury intoxication. The median concentration of the hair mercury was significantly higher in miners than non-miners (P = 0.01), and 9 out of 18 miners and 2 out of 11 non-miners showed the warning level of mercury. We found that, despite an association between declining respiratory function and length of time mining, only a minority of miners showed clinical features of chronic mercury intoxication. Further clinical surveys with a larger sample size are necessary to determine the broader health status of this community. In addition, clinical indicators such as pulmonary function tests are recommended as additional criteria for the diagnosis of mercury intoxication.
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Yildiz M, Adrovic A, Gurup A, Karabag Yilmaz E, Ozer Y, Koker O, Sahin S, Kiykim E, Canpolat N, Barut K, Kasapcopur O. Mercury intoxication resembling pediatric rheumatic diseases: case series and literature review. Rheumatol Int 2020; 40:1333-1342. [PMID: 32342181 DOI: 10.1007/s00296-020-04589-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Mercury is the only metal that remains in liquid form at the room temperature. It is a very toxic metal and even short-term exposure can lead to poisoning. Mercury intoxication can affect many systems such as skin, cardiovascular, genitourinary, central and peripheral nervous, respiratory, and musculoskeletal system. Consequently, the diagnosis of mercury intoxication can be challenging due to its non-specific and multisystemic presentation. Herein, we report five pediatric cases with mercury intoxication from two families that were initially misdiagnosed as rheumatic disorders. We also performed a literature review about pediatric cases with mercury intoxication to investigate the clinical findings in children, the source of intoxication, and the current treatment preferences. As in our cases, reported patients were previously misdiagnosed as various infectious and/or rheumatic diseases before the diagnosis of mercury intoxication was established. A delay in diagnosis and treatment can cause serious morbidities and even mortality. We report this case series to emphasize the multisystemic presentation of mercury intoxication, and to remind and provide clues for physicians to recognize this rare toxicologic syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Yildiz
- Cerrahpasa Medical School, Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Amra Adrovic
- Cerrahpasa Medical School, Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Aybuke Gurup
- Cerrahpasa Medical School, Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Esra Karabag Yilmaz
- Cerrahpasa Medical School, Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Yavuz Ozer
- Cerrahpasa Medical School, Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Oya Koker
- Cerrahpasa Medical School, Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Sezgin Sahin
- Cerrahpasa Medical School, Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ertugrul Kiykim
- Cerrahpasa Medical School, Department of Nutrition and Metabolism, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Nur Canpolat
- Cerrahpasa Medical School, Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Kenan Barut
- Cerrahpasa Medical School, Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ozgur Kasapcopur
- Cerrahpasa Medical School, Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkey.
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Subhavana KL, Qureshi A, Roy A. Mercury levels in human hair in South India: baseline, artisanal goldsmiths and coal-fired power plants. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2019; 29:697-705. [PMID: 30631141 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-018-0107-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2018] [Revised: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
India is a major emitter of mercury to the environment, mainly due to emissions from coal-fired power plants. Consumption of fish and rice, two important pathways for human exposure to mercury, is particularly high in South India. Here, we report concentrations of total mercury in hair (THghair) in 668 participants from South India. Three cities were covered: (i) a city on the east coast with four active coal-fired thermal power plants (Nellore), (ii) a city on the west coast with no major mercury source (Vasco da Gama), and (iii) a metropolitan city in the interior with no major mercury source (Hyderabad). Geometric mean of THghair of the entire study population is 0.14 µg/g (95% confidence interval, CI: 0.13-0.15 µg/g). Significant predictor variables are age, fish consumption, and occupations such as dental studies, subsistence fishing, and artisanal goldsmithing (which is different from artisanal scale gold mining). Our results support the hypothesis that people living in a city with active coal-fired power plants may have higher THghair than those in cities with no major mercury source.
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Affiliation(s)
- K L Subhavana
- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad, Kandi, TS, 502285, India
| | - Asif Qureshi
- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad, Kandi, TS, 502285, India.
| | - Arpita Roy
- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad, Kandi, TS, 502285, India
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