Health Impact Assessment of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Area in Myanmar, Mandalay Region: Preliminary Research

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.

Transdisciplinary Online Health Assessment of an Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Community during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Mandalay Region of Myanmar

“…Similarly, in our previous preliminary study, we detected the signs and symptoms of chronic Hg intoxication in only a minority of the miners, ref. [13] and Hg concentration in their hair was not high compared with that in ASGM areas of other nations. Considering these factors together, it can be assumed that the major health problem in the study area mining community is silicosis and its associated complications rather than chronic Hg intoxication.…”

“…A video health interview was conducted using a transdisciplinary approach with collaboration among researchers, the local physician, the government, and local stakeholders as a case study for designing a future, long-term, sustainable health assessment. According to the findings of our previous preliminary research in the study area, a small number of miners had the signs and symptoms of chronic Hg intoxication [13]. This case study reports the health status of the ASGM community and discusses the effectiveness of the collaborative online health assessment tool.…”

“…According to the March 2019 data of the administrative office, Chaung Gyi Village has 1772 households and a population of 8375 people. The ASGM activity of Chaung Gyi Village can be classified into formal and informal types [13].…”

Artisanal and Small Gold Mining and Petroleum Production as Potential Sources of Heavy Metal Contamination in Ecuador: A Call to Action

“…This deposit also has very high concentrations of arsenic, chrome, copper, lead, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, silver, vanadium, zinc and antimony. Moreover, the most common mineral species are: cassiterite {SnO 2 }, wolframite {CaSiO 3…”

“…The same applies for the products derived from petroleum and the petrochemical industry, which create ubiquitous plastics and base materials for countless industries. The flip side of mining and petroleum production lies in the environmental impacts they can generate, such as water contamination, people displacement and large-scale disasters such as tailings dam breakage or large oil spills, e.g., [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. Cases such as the Brumadinho dam collapse, which occurred in 2019, are extreme examples of the impacts large-scale mining can cause [ 10 ].…”