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Charalampous P, Polinder S, Wothge J, von der Lippe E, Haagsma JA. A systematic literature review of disability weights measurement studies: evolution of methodological choices. Arch Public Health 2022; 80:91. [PMID: 35331325 PMCID: PMC8944058 DOI: 10.1186/s13690-022-00860-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The disability weight is an essential factor to estimate the healthy time that is lost due to living with a certain state of illness. A 2014 review showed a considerable variation in methods used to derive disability weights. Since then, several sets of disability weights have been developed. This systematic review aimed to provide an updated and comparative overview of the methodological design choices and surveying techniques that have been used in disability weights measurement studies and how they evolved over time. Methods A literature search was conducted in multiple international databases (early-1990 to mid-2021). Records were screened according to pre-defined eligibility criteria. The quality of the included disability weights measurement studies was assessed using the Checklist for Reporting Valuation Studies (CREATE) instrument. Studies were collated by characteristics and methodological design approaches. Data extraction was performed by one reviewer and discussed with a second. Results Forty-six unique disability weights measurement studies met our eligibility criteria. More than half (n = 27; 59%) of the identified studies assessed disability weights for multiple ill-health outcomes. Thirty studies (65%) described the health states using disease-specific descriptions or a combination of a disease-specific descriptions and generic-preference instruments. The percentage of studies obtaining health preferences from a population-based panel increased from 14% (2004–2011) to 32% (2012–2021). None of the disability weight studies published in the past 10 years used the annual profile approach. Most studies performed panel-meetings to obtain disability weights data. Conclusions Our review reveals that a methodological uniformity between national and GBD disability weights studies increased, especially from 2010 onwards. Over years, more studies used disease-specific health state descriptions in line with those of the GBD study, panel from general populations, and data from web-based surveys and/or household surveys. There is, however, a wide variation in valuation techniques that were used to derive disability weights at national-level and that persisted over time. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13690-022-00860-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Periklis Charalampous
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Suzanne Polinder
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jördis Wothge
- German Environment Agency, Section Noise Abatement of Industrial Plants and Products, Noise Impact, Wörlitzer Pl. 1, 06844, Dessau-Roßlau, Germany
| | - Elena von der Lippe
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitorin, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Juanita A Haagsma
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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de Bakker LB, Gasparinetti P, de Queiroz JM, de Vasconcellos ACS. Economic Impacts on Human Health Resulting from the Use of Mercury in the Illegal Gold Mining in the Brazilian Amazon: A Methodological Assessment. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182211869. [PMID: 34831624 PMCID: PMC8622153 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182211869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 11/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in the Amazon results in the dumping of tons of mercury into the environment annually. Despite consensus on the impacts of mercury on human health, there are still unknowns regarding: (i) the extent to which mercury from ASGM can be dispersed in the environment until it becomes toxic to humans; and (ii) the economic value of losses caused by contamination becomes evident. The main objective of this study is to propose a methodology to evaluate the impacts of ASGM on human health in different contexts in the Brazilian Amazon. We connect several points in the literature based on hypotheses regarding mercury dispersion in water, its transformation into methylmercury, and absorption by fish and humans. This methodology can be used as a tool to estimate the extent of environmental damage caused by artisanal gold mining, the severity of damage to the health of individuals contaminated by mercury and, consequently, can contribute to the application of fines to environmental violators. The consequences of contamination are evaluated by dose-response functions relating to mercury concentrations in hair and the development of the following health outcomes: (i) mild mental retardation, (ii) acute myocardial infarction, and (iii) hypertension. From disability-adjusted life years and statistical life value, we found that the economic losses range from 100,000 to 400,000 USD per kilogram of gold extracted. A case study of the Yanomami indigenous land shows that the impacts of mercury from illegal gold mining in 2020 totaled 69 million USD, which could be used by local authorities to compensate the Yanomami people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Barcellos de Bakker
- Leonardo B. Bakker Assessoria, São Clemente Street, Rio de Janeiro 254, Rio de Janeiro 22260-004, Brazil
- Correspondence:
| | - Pedro Gasparinetti
- Conservation Strategy Fund, Av. Churchill 129, Rio de Janeiro 20020-050, Brazil;
| | - Júlia Mello de Queiroz
- Julia Queiroz Consultoria Desenvolvimento Verde, Maria Angelica Street, Rio de Janeiro 382, Rio de Janeiro 22461-152, Brazil;
| | - Ana Claudia Santiago de Vasconcellos
- Laboratory of Professional Education in Health Surveillance, Joaquim Venâncio Polytechnic School of Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil;
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Weinhouse C, Gallis JA, Ortiz E, Berky AJ, Morales AM, Diringer SE, Harrington J, Bullins P, Rogers L, Hare-Grogg J, Hsu-Kim H, Pan WK. A population-based mercury exposure assessment near an artisanal and small-scale gold mining site in the Peruvian Amazon. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2021; 31:126-136. [PMID: 32467625 PMCID: PMC8281380 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-020-0234-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caren Weinhouse
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, 310 Trent Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - John A. Gallis
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, 310 Trent Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27710
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, 2424 Erwin Road, Suite 1102 Hock Plaza, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - Ernesto Ortiz
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, 310 Trent Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - Axel J. Berky
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, 9 Circuit Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | | | - Sarah E. Diringer
- Pacific Institute, 654 13 Street, Preservation Park, Oakland, California 94612
| | - James Harrington
- Research Triangle Institute, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
| | - Paige Bullins
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, 310 Trent Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27710
| | - Laura Rogers
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, 121 Hudson Hall, Durham, North Carolina 27708
| | - John Hare-Grogg
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, 121 Hudson Hall, Durham, North Carolina 27708
| | - Heileen Hsu-Kim
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, 9 Circuit Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27710
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, 121 Hudson Hall, Durham, North Carolina 27708
| | - William K. Pan
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, 310 Trent Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27710
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, 9 Circuit Drive, Durham, North Carolina 27710
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Mendoza-Lagunas JL, Meza-Figueroa DM, Martínez-Cinco MA, O’Rourke MK, Centeno-García E, Romero FM, García-Rico L, Meza-Montenegro MM. Health Risk Assessment in Children by Arsenic and Mercury Pollution of Groundwater in a Mining Area in Sonora, Mexico. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.4236/gep.2019.76008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Steckling N, Tobollik M, Plass D, Hornberg C, Ericson B, Fuller R, Bose-O'Reilly S. Global Burden of Disease of Mercury Used in Artisanal Small-Scale Gold Mining. Ann Glob Health 2018; 83:234-247. [PMID: 28619398 DOI: 10.1016/j.aogh.2016.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is the world's largest anthropogenic source of mercury emission. Gold miners are highly exposed to metallic mercury and suffer occupational mercury intoxication. The global disease burden as a result of this exposure is largely unknown because the informal character of ASGM restricts the availability of reliable data. OBJECTIVE To estimate the prevalence of occupational mercury intoxication and the disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to chronic metallic mercury vapor intoxication (CMMVI) among ASGM gold miners globally and in selected countries. METHODS Estimates of the number of artisanal small-scale gold (ASG) miners were extracted from reviews supplemented by a literature search. Prevalence of moderate CMMVI among miners was determined by compiling a dataset of available studies that assessed frequency of intoxication in gold miners using a standardized diagnostic tool and biomonitoring data on mercury in urine. Severe cases of CMMVI were not included because it was assumed that these persons can no longer be employed as miners. Cases in workers' families and communities were not considered. Years lived with disability as a result of CMMVI among ASG miners were quantified by multiplying the number of prevalent cases of CMMVI by the appropriate disability weight. No deaths are expected to result from CMMVI and therefore years of life lost were not calculated. Disease burden was calculated by multiplying the prevalence rate with the number of miners for each country and the disability weight. Sensitivity analyses were performed using different assumptions on the number of miners and the intoxication prevalence rate. FINDINGS Globally, 14-19 million workers are employed as ASG miners. Based on human biomonitoring data, between 25% and 33% of these miners-3.3-6.5 million miners globally-suffer from moderate CMMVI. The resulting global burden of disease is estimated to range from 1.22 (uncertainty interval [UI] 0.87-1.61) to 2.39 (UI 1.69-3.14) million DALYs. CONCLUSIONS This study presents the first global and country-based estimates of disease burden caused by mercury intoxication in ASGM. Data availability and quality limit the results, and the total disease burden is likely undercounted. Despite these limitations, the data clearly indicate that mercury intoxication in ASG miners is a major, largely neglected global health problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Steckling
- Bielefeld University, School of Public Health, Department Environment & Health, Bielefeld, Germany; University Hospital Munich, WHO Collaborating Centre for Occupational Health, Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Unit Paediatric Environmental Epidemiology, Munich, Germany; Department of Public Health and Health Technology Assessment, University for Health Sciences, Medical Computer Science and Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria.
| | - Myriam Tobollik
- Bielefeld University, School of Public Health, Department Environment & Health, Bielefeld, Germany; German Environment Agency, Section Exposure Assessment and Environmental Health Indicators, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dietrich Plass
- German Environment Agency, Section Exposure Assessment and Environmental Health Indicators, Berlin, Germany
| | - Claudia Hornberg
- Bielefeld University, School of Public Health, Department Environment & Health, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Bret Ericson
- Pure Earth, formerly Blacksmith Institute, New York, NY
| | | | - Stephan Bose-O'Reilly
- University Hospital Munich, WHO Collaborating Centre for Occupational Health, Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Unit Paediatric Environmental Epidemiology, Munich, Germany; Department of Public Health and Health Technology Assessment, University for Health Sciences, Medical Computer Science and Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria
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Schutzmeier P, Focil Baquerizo A, Castillo-Tandazo W, Focil N, Bose-O’Reilly S. Efficacy of N,N'bis-(2-mercaptoethyl) isophthalamide on mercury intoxication: a randomized controlled trial. Environ Health 2018; 17:15. [PMID: 29444690 PMCID: PMC5813329 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-018-0358-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic mercury intoxication is a severe health issue and occurs especially in gold mining communities. Common chelators used for improving mercury elimination are not everywhere available and challenged by poor cell wall penetration. This study is part of a feasibility trial and the aim was to gather first information about the efficacy of the newly developed chelator N,N'bis-(2-mercaptoethyl) isophthalamide (NBMI) on chronic mercury intoxication. METHODS In this three-armed, placebo-controlled randomized trial, 36 miners with mercury urine levels exceeding 15 μg/l were administered 100 mg NBMI, 300 mg NBMI or placebo for 14 days. Levels of mercury in urine [μg/l and μg/g creatinine] and plasma l were analyzed. Therapeutic effect was assessed using the medical intoxication score (MIS) and its single health outcomes (e.g. excessive salivation, sleeping problems), fatigue scores, a neuromotoric test battery (CATSYS) and a neurological outcome (Finger to nose test). RESULTS Physical fatigue was significantly decreased in the 300 mg NBMI group compared to the control. Mercury concentration in urine following 300 mg NBMI treatment was significantly lowered compared to control, however, this effect was less distinct with adjustment for creatinine. CONCLUSION NBMI showed an effect on physical fatigue and there were indications to positive effects on other symptoms as well. More comprehensive studies are mandatory to verify the effects of NBMI as a novel tool for treating mercury intoxications. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02486289 . Date of registration: June 24, 2015.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Schutzmeier
- Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Occupational Health, University Hospital Munich, Ziemssenstr. 1, D-80336 Munich, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Stephan Bose-O’Reilly
- Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, WHO Collaborating Centre for Occupational Health, University Hospital Munich, Ziemssenstr. 1, D-80336 Munich, Germany
- Institute of Public Health, Medical Decision Making and Health Technology Assessment, Department of Public Health, Health Services Research and Health Technology Assessment, UMIT (University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology), A-6060 Hall i.T, Innsbruck, Austria
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7
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Landrigan PJ, Fuller R, Acosta NJR, Adeyi O, Arnold R, Basu NN, Baldé AB, Bertollini R, Bose-O'Reilly S, Boufford JI, Breysse PN, Chiles T, Mahidol C, Coll-Seck AM, Cropper ML, Fobil J, Fuster V, Greenstone M, Haines A, Hanrahan D, Hunter D, Khare M, Krupnick A, Lanphear B, Lohani B, Martin K, Mathiasen KV, McTeer MA, Murray CJL, Ndahimananjara JD, Perera F, Potočnik J, Preker AS, Ramesh J, Rockström J, Salinas C, Samson LD, Sandilya K, Sly PD, Smith KR, Steiner A, Stewart RB, Suk WA, van Schayck OCP, Yadama GN, Yumkella K, Zhong M. The Lancet Commission on pollution and health. Lancet 2018; 391:462-512. [PMID: 29056410 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(17)32345-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1746] [Impact Index Per Article: 291.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Revised: 05/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Philip J Landrigan
- Arnhold Institute for Global Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | | | | | - Olusoji Adeyi
- Department of Health, Nutrition, and Population Global Practice, The World Bank, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Robert Arnold
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Niladri Nil Basu
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Roberto Bertollini
- Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks of the European Commission, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg; Office of the Minister of Health, Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar
| | - Stephan Bose-O'Reilly
- Institute and Outpatient Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital of LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; Department of Public Health, Health Services Research and Health Technology Assessment, University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria
| | | | - Patrick N Breysse
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Thomas Chiles
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Maureen L Cropper
- Department of Economics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Resources for the Future, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Julius Fobil
- Department of Biological, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Valentin Fuster
- Mount Sinai Heart, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Andy Haines
- Department of Social and Environmental Health Research and Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - David Hunter
- Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Mukesh Khare
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India
| | | | - Bruce Lanphear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Bindu Lohani
- Centennial Group, Washington, DC, USA; The Resources Center, Lalitpur, Nepal
| | - Keith Martin
- Consortium of Universities for Global Health, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Karen V Mathiasen
- Office of the US Executive Director, The World Bank, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | | | | | - Frederica Perera
- Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Janez Potočnik
- UN International Resource Panel, Paris, France; SYSTEMIQ, London, UK
| | - Alexander S Preker
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Global Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Health Policy and Management, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Health Investment & Financing Corporation, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Johan Rockström
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Leona D Samson
- Department of Biological Engineering and Department of Biology, Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Peter D Sly
- Children's Health and Environment Program, Child Health Research Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Kirk R Smith
- Environmental Health Sciences Division, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Achim Steiner
- Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Richard B Stewart
- Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy, and Land Use Law, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - William A Suk
- Division of Extramural Research and Training, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Onno C P van Schayck
- Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Gautam N Yadama
- School of Social Work, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Kandeh Yumkella
- United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ma Zhong
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
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