Mercury Exposure and Health Problems in Urban Artisanal Gold Mining (UAGM) in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract

Urban artisanal gold mining (UAGM) in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, has been run by a number of urban gold workers with gold jewelry manufacture as its core activity. The wastes generated from goldsmiths' activities were further processed by the gold smelters to recover fine gold particles. Smelting gold doré, amalgamation, and burning out the amalgam were the mercury-based gold process usually applied in their work. While working the gold workers are, therefore, potentially exposed to a source of mercury pollution that may cause health problems because of working without proper protection. The aims of this research are to characterize the process of urban artisanal gold mining with the potential mercury exposures during the process, and to assess the health of the gold workers. The results showed that the gold workers had a low educational background, but a relatively high income. The total mercury concentration of gold workers was higher than the control group. They were exposed to intoxicatingly high levels of mercury with the average total mercury concentrations of 6.6 and 10.8 µg/g in the hair of indirect and direct exposed workers, respectively. The health assessment showed that 85% of the gold workers suffered neurological symptoms, such as tremors, and 44%-56% of them experienced restricted fields of vision, slow reflexes, sensory disturbances, unbalanced rigidity, and ataxia. The results also showed that the working years have reasonable correlation with the sum of the positive findings in the 10 neurological symptoms.

Lead and Mercury Exposure and Related Health Problems in Metal Artisan Workplaces and High-Risk Household Contacts in Thimphu, Bhutan

“…Al-Batanony et al [20] at Quisna Industrial Zone, Egypt, reported the most prominent clinical symptoms as tremors, emotional liability, memory changes, neuromuscular changes, and performance deficits in tests of cognitive function. Studies at Indonesia also recorded that 85% of the gold workers suffered neurological symptoms such as tremors, restricted fields of vision, slow reflexes, sensory disturbances, unbalanced rigidity, and ataxia, thus agreeing in line with our studies [17]. ere may be other possible causes for these symptoms, as the study does not have a nonexposed group for comparison.…”

“…It is possible that the release of mercury vapor during the amalgamation process may have induced the poisoning. Many studies reported that amalgamation process and duration of work/exposure were significant risk factors for the elevation of blood mercury level [14,15,17]. e released mercury vapors possess environmental threat affecting the workers and other population living around them [18].…”

Factors Associated with High Mercury Levels in Women and Girls from The Mojana Region, Colombia, 2013–2015

“…Hg appears in the environment in three general forms: elemental, inorganic, and organic. Humans are primarily exposed through the consumption of fish that have high levels of methylmercury (MeHg), an organic form of Hg that is the most toxic [2][3][4][5][6]. While the central nervous and renal systems are the main systems that are affected by mercury exposure, effects on the female reproductive system have also been found [7,8].…”

Health Studies in the Context of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining: A Scoping Review

“…This is confirmed by a global study showing that ASM scholars and practitioners are more concerned with Hg exposure in ASM communities than other health hazards [14]. Indeed, Hg exposure and its toxicological consequences pose considerable health and environmental concerns due to the expansion of ASGM activities into urban and sub-urban communities [96,110]. With only one quarter of the health studies in ASM contexts that addressed other health issues than Hg exposure in ASGM, there might be an important research gap.…”

“…There are several potential underlying reasons why health in the context of ASM lacks pointed research. First, despite the current trend in urban mining, such as gold jewellery manufactures [96], ASM operations are often performed in distant or difficultto-access settings [2,8]. Hence, data collections at mining sites are challenging in terms of access, while financial and human resources for research are often constrained [35,36].…”