Pulmonary function and respiratory health of rural farmers and artisanal and small scale gold miners in Ghana

Abstract

The recent increase in artisanal and small scale gold mining (ASGM) worldwide has elicited a number of public health concerns for miners and mining communities, including respiratory health. The two primary inhalational exposures of concern are crystalline silica expected to be present in gold ore and smoke from biomass fuels used in cooking. Here, measurements of pulmonary function and of respiratory symptoms were performed in an ASGM community, Kejetia, and a comparison agricultural community, Gorogo, in the Upper East Region of Ghana in May-July 2011. Of 172 participants, 159 performed spirometry, yielding 119 and 95 valid measurements for FEV1 and FVC, respectively. Percent predicted FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC, which were lower than predicted for a healthy population, were not significantly different between Kejetia and Gorogo or by mining status in Kejetia. Abnormal lung function was elevated for predicted FEV1 (15.0%) and FEV1/FVC (22.0%) beyond an expected five percent in healthy populations. This first examination of pulmonary function in an ASGM community in Ghana (and possibly worldwide) did not show an obvious relationship between mining involvement and lung function abnormality, but did show associations between the use of biomass fuels, adverse respiratory symptoms, and reduced pulmonary function in both populations. A number of factors including age differences between the populations and the required lag time after silica exposure for the onset of respiratory disease may have affected results. Additional research is needed with larger sample sizes and with more detailed questionnaires to further assess the impact of multiple stressors on respiratory health in ASGM communities.

Integrated Assessment of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Ghana—Part 1: Human Health Review

“…In a study of ASG miners in the Upper East Region, elevated abnormal pulmonary function was observed in participants’ forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV 1 ) and the ratio of the FEV 1 to the forced vital capacity (FVC, or the total volume of air exhaled) [ 114 ]. However, pulmonary function measures of FEV 1 , FVC, and the ratio of FEV 1 /FVC were not significantly associated with years involved with mining for participants.…”

Injury Risk Factors in a Small-Scale Gold Mining Community in Ghana’s Upper East Region

“…ASGM processes pose many occupational and community health hazards. The most well-documented of these is mercury exposure [ 6 , 7 ], though ASG miners and communities are also potentially exposed to other heavy metals present in the gold ore, airborne silica dust from pulverized ore, and noise from mining equipment [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. In addition to these exposures, hazardous physical conditions and activities throughout the process raise concerns about occupational injuries.…”

Valeurs spirométries de référence dans la population bantoue de Kinshasa de 20 à 70 ans

“…En effet, l'étude de Quanjer et al [40] qui s'est focalisée sur le nombre requis des sujets pour valider les valeurs respiratoires de référence rapporte une population d'au moins 150 hommes et 150 femmes, pour éviter les biais dus à une erreur d'échantillonnage. Rajaee M et al [31] au Ghana rapportent une taille de 172 sujets, Shamssain et al [41] en Lybie 208 sujets, Omar A et al [42] en Omani 561 sujets, Pefura Y et al [43] au Cameroun 1357 sujets, Mohamed O et al [44] en Arabie Saoudite 621 sujets, Ratomaharo J et al [29] au Madagascar 2491 sujets et Musafiri et al [32] au Ruanda 1824 sujets. La troisième force de l'étude est l'établissement des équations de prédiction des valeurs spirométriques en utilisant la méthode statistique de régression multi variée PLS.…”

“…Des données des pays développés d'Amérique latine [7, 8], d'Amérique du Nord [9-15]; d'Asie [16-19] et d'Europe ([1-6], [20-24]) sont largement disponibles. Celles disponibles sur le continent africain proviennent essentiellement des équipes d'Algérie [25], d'Afrique du Sud [26], de Tunisie [27], du Sénégal [28], du Soudan [29], de Madagascar [30], du Ghana [31], du Rwanda [32], et du Maroc [33]. Dedoyard et al en 1972 [34], Ghesquiere et al en 2009 [35], sont les premiers à rapporter dans une population estudiantine de Kinshasa, notamment des différences interraciales.…”