Background: Mercury concentration in the blood is one of mercury exposure biomarkers. This study was conducted in Abuhamed mining area in Sudan, during the period from August 2012 to November 2014.The aim of the study was to evaluate serum mercury levels and to assess lung functions in artisanal gold miners. Methods: The study included 123 subjects, of them 83 were working in the gold mining area, beside 50 healthy volunteers from Khartoum State, as control group. Serum mercury was measured by direct mercury analyzer (DMA-80). Lung function tests were done with a portable spirometer. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 20. Results:The study observed significant increase in serum mercury levels in the gold miners, when compared with control group (24.9 ± 32.24µg/l) versus (1.40 ± 0.94µg/l) with P value (0.000). The mean forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) in the gold miners was (3.24 ± 0.57) versus (3.40 ± 0.39) in the control group, while the mean forced vital capacity (FVC) in the mercury exposed miners was (3.7 ± 0.69) versus (3.86 ± 0.60) in non-exposed control group. Conclusion: Serum mercury levels significantly increase in the traditional gold miners working in Abuhamed, while forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) decrease but with no statistical significance.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.