| Peer-Reviewed

Concentration of Total Mercury in the Blood, Urine and Hair of Gold Panners, Gold Traders, People Living in and Around Gold Panning Sites in the Territory of Fizi, DRC

Received: 28 December 2019     Accepted: 7 January 2020     Published: 16 January 2020
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

This study covered a demographic sample of 384 people including gold panners, gold traders, people living in and around the gold panning sites in the Fizi territory who were selected from the total population of 17900 people using the stratified sampling technique. The main objective of this study was to determine total mercury content in samples of biological matrixes (blood, urine and hair) provided by the above-mentioned individuals over a 16-month cycle (August and December 2016 to August and December 2017). Total mercury was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) for each biological matrix studied. The results found revealed that only people residing in the reference site or non-mining site (Lulimba) had the lowest total mercury levels in compliance with WHO standards for all biological matrix studied (blood, hair and urine). In fact, for these entire biological matrixes, gold panners presented the highest total mercury levels, followed in turn by gold traders, subjects living near gold-mercury (Au-Hg) amalgamation incineration sites and gold trading houses, and villagers living in the gold panning sites. In view of the above, it is necessary to consider adequate solutions that can protect people from mercurial toxicity. To this end, particular attention would be focused on the scrupulous application of safety standards in relation to the handling of mercury in general and other toxic products in particular, the conduct to be followed during the incineration of gold-mercury amalgam, etc.

Published in International Journal of Ecotoxicology and Ecobiology (Volume 5, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijee.20200501.11
Page(s) 1-12
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Gold Panners, Gold Traders, Fizi Territory, Blood, Urine, Hair, Gold Panning Sites, Eastern Democratic Republic of Cong

References
[1] Buyun, D., Ping, L., Xinbin, F., Guangle, Q., Z. Jun and M. Laurence., Mercury Exposure in Children of the Wanshan Mercury Mining Area, Guizhou, China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2016. 13: p. 1107-1122.
[2] Tomiyasu, T., Kono, Y., Kodamatani, H., N. Hidayati and J. S. Rahajoe, The distribution of mercury around the small-scale gold mining area along the Cikaniki river, Bogor, Indonesia. Environmental Research 2013. 125: p. 12-19.
[3] P. Van Straaten, Mercury contamination associated with small-scale gold mining in Tanzania and Zimbabwe. The Science of The Total Environment 2000. 259: p. 105-113.
[4] PNUE, Utilisation du mercure dans l’extraction minière artisanale et à petite échelle de l’or, Genève, 2008.
[5] R. T. Laurie, Impacts des activités minières sur les ressources en eau en Afrique de l’Ouest: Cas des mines aurifères, AgroParisTech-ENGREF-CCRE-CEDEAO, Burkina Faso, 2012.
[6] B. Niane, Impacts environnementaux liés à l’utilisation du mercure lors de l’exploitation artisanale de l’or dans la région de Kédougou (Sénégal oriental). Thèse de doctorat en Sciences de la Terre, Université de Genève, Genève, 2014.
[7] M. A. H, Détermination du mercure: méthode par spectrophotométrie d’absorption atomique, formation de vapeur. Centre d’expertise en analyse environnementale du Québec, 2006.
[8] L. J. Casarett and J. Doull, Toxicology. Basic science of poisons 2008. 23: p. 931-979.
[9] S. A. Gilbert, Small Dose of Toxicology. Toxipedia 2010.1 (3): p. 23-34.
[10] WHO, Report on indicators to evaluate and track the health impacts of mercury and identify vulnerabale populations., Geneva, Switzerland, 2010.
[11] W. N. Munyaas, Territoire de Fizi-Kalembelembe, défis et développement. Ed. Persée, Paris, 2016.
[12] M. Marc et F. Mario, Biostatistique pour les sciences de la vie et de la santé. Ed Pearson, Paris, 2012.
[13] W. Cochran, Sampling techniques. Ed John Wiley & Sons. New York, 1977.
[14] Schach, V., Jahanbakht, S., Livardjani, F., Reiss, J., A. Jaeger and Y. Haïkel. Surveillance médicale des sujets exposés professionnellement au mercure. Archive des maladies professionnelles 2010. 5: p. 59-68.
[15] L. Laurence, La préparation des matrices biologiques pour l’analyse des métaux. Annales de ToxicologieAnalytique2010. 22 (2): p. 81-88.
[16] A. Hirokatsuand N. Akira, Human Exposure to Mercury and the Accumulation of Methylmercury that is Associated with Gold Mining in the Amazon Basin, Brazil. Journal of Health Science 2006. 46 (5): p. 323-328.
[17] Gun, P., Young, S., J. Man and S. Joon, The associations between blood mercury levels and shark meat intake among workers in Gyeongsangbuk-do. Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2006.2: p. 29-39.
[18] Vieira, S., Almeida, R., Holanda I., Mussy, M., Galvao R., Crispin, P., J. Dorea, and W. Bastos, Total and methyl-mercury in hair and milk of mothers living in the city of Porto Velho and in villages along the Rio Madeira, Amazon, Brazil. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health 2013.216 (6): p. 682-689.
[19] Brodkin, E., Copes, R., Mattman, A., Kennedy, J., R. Kling and A. Yassi, Lead and mercury exposures: interpretation and action. CMAJ2017. 176 (1): p. 59-63.
[20] N. Kim and B. Lee, Blood total mercury and fish consumption in the Korean general population in Khanes III. Sci Total Environ 2010. 408 (20): p. 4841-7.
[21] Lye, E., Legrand, M., J. Clarke and A. Probert, Blood total mercury concentrations in the Canadian population: Canadian health measures survey cycle 1, 2007-2009. Can J Public Health 2013.104 (3): p. 246-251.
[22] L. Kern, Interpreting Hair Mercury Levels in Individual Patients. Annals of Clinical & Laboratory Science2009. 36 (3): p. 249-261.
[23] Guixia, C., Xiaoxin, C., Chonghuai, Y., W. Xingdong and Z. Guozhang. Surveying Mercury Levels in Hair, Blood and Urine of under 7-Year Old Children from a Coastal City in China. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health. 2014. 11: p. 12029-12041.
[24] Pirrone, N., Cinnirella, S., Feng, X., Finkelman, R., Friedli, H., J. Leaner and R. Mason, Global mercury emissions to the atmosphere from anthropogenic and natural sources. Atmos. Chem. Phys 2010. 10: p. 5951–5964.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Nsambu Mukondwa Pascal, Musibono Eyul’Anki Dieudonné, Mputu Kanyinda Jean-Noël. (2020). Concentration of Total Mercury in the Blood, Urine and Hair of Gold Panners, Gold Traders, People Living in and Around Gold Panning Sites in the Territory of Fizi, DRC. International Journal of Ecotoxicology and Ecobiology, 5(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijee.20200501.11

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Nsambu Mukondwa Pascal; Musibono Eyul’Anki Dieudonné; Mputu Kanyinda Jean-Noël. Concentration of Total Mercury in the Blood, Urine and Hair of Gold Panners, Gold Traders, People Living in and Around Gold Panning Sites in the Territory of Fizi, DRC. Int. J. Ecotoxicol. Ecobiol. 2020, 5(1), 1-12. doi: 10.11648/j.ijee.20200501.11

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Nsambu Mukondwa Pascal, Musibono Eyul’Anki Dieudonné, Mputu Kanyinda Jean-Noël. Concentration of Total Mercury in the Blood, Urine and Hair of Gold Panners, Gold Traders, People Living in and Around Gold Panning Sites in the Territory of Fizi, DRC. Int J Ecotoxicol Ecobiol. 2020;5(1):1-12. doi: 10.11648/j.ijee.20200501.11

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.ijee.20200501.11,
      author = {Nsambu Mukondwa Pascal and Musibono Eyul’Anki Dieudonné and Mputu Kanyinda Jean-Noël},
      title = {Concentration of Total Mercury in the Blood, Urine and Hair of Gold Panners, Gold Traders, People Living in and Around Gold Panning Sites in the Territory of Fizi, DRC},
      journal = {International Journal of Ecotoxicology and Ecobiology},
      volume = {5},
      number = {1},
      pages = {1-12},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijee.20200501.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijee.20200501.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijee.20200501.11},
      abstract = {This study covered a demographic sample of 384 people including gold panners, gold traders, people living in and around the gold panning sites in the Fizi territory who were selected from the total population of 17900 people using the stratified sampling technique. The main objective of this study was to determine total mercury content in samples of biological matrixes (blood, urine and hair) provided by the above-mentioned individuals over a 16-month cycle (August and December 2016 to August and December 2017). Total mercury was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) for each biological matrix studied. The results found revealed that only people residing in the reference site or non-mining site (Lulimba) had the lowest total mercury levels in compliance with WHO standards for all biological matrix studied (blood, hair and urine). In fact, for these entire biological matrixes, gold panners presented the highest total mercury levels, followed in turn by gold traders, subjects living near gold-mercury (Au-Hg) amalgamation incineration sites and gold trading houses, and villagers living in the gold panning sites. In view of the above, it is necessary to consider adequate solutions that can protect people from mercurial toxicity. To this end, particular attention would be focused on the scrupulous application of safety standards in relation to the handling of mercury in general and other toxic products in particular, the conduct to be followed during the incineration of gold-mercury amalgam, etc.},
     year = {2020}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Concentration of Total Mercury in the Blood, Urine and Hair of Gold Panners, Gold Traders, People Living in and Around Gold Panning Sites in the Territory of Fizi, DRC
    AU  - Nsambu Mukondwa Pascal
    AU  - Musibono Eyul’Anki Dieudonné
    AU  - Mputu Kanyinda Jean-Noël
    Y1  - 2020/01/16
    PY  - 2020
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijee.20200501.11
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijee.20200501.11
    T2  - International Journal of Ecotoxicology and Ecobiology
    JF  - International Journal of Ecotoxicology and Ecobiology
    JO  - International Journal of Ecotoxicology and Ecobiology
    SP  - 1
    EP  - 12
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2575-1735
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijee.20200501.11
    AB  - This study covered a demographic sample of 384 people including gold panners, gold traders, people living in and around the gold panning sites in the Fizi territory who were selected from the total population of 17900 people using the stratified sampling technique. The main objective of this study was to determine total mercury content in samples of biological matrixes (blood, urine and hair) provided by the above-mentioned individuals over a 16-month cycle (August and December 2016 to August and December 2017). Total mercury was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) for each biological matrix studied. The results found revealed that only people residing in the reference site or non-mining site (Lulimba) had the lowest total mercury levels in compliance with WHO standards for all biological matrix studied (blood, hair and urine). In fact, for these entire biological matrixes, gold panners presented the highest total mercury levels, followed in turn by gold traders, subjects living near gold-mercury (Au-Hg) amalgamation incineration sites and gold trading houses, and villagers living in the gold panning sites. In view of the above, it is necessary to consider adequate solutions that can protect people from mercurial toxicity. To this end, particular attention would be focused on the scrupulous application of safety standards in relation to the handling of mercury in general and other toxic products in particular, the conduct to be followed during the incineration of gold-mercury amalgam, etc.
    VL  - 5
    IS  - 1
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Doctoral Cycle, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

  • Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Doctoral Cycle, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

  • Sections