A review of mercury exposure among artisanal small-scale gold miners in developing countries

• Published in: International archives of occupational and environmental health Vol. 87; no. 6; pp. 579 - 590
• Main Authors: Kristensen, Anders Kasper Bruun, Thomsen, Jane Frølund, Mikkelsen, Sigurd
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.08.2014; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers - urine; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; Developing Countries; Earth and Environmental Science; Environment; Environmental Health; Gold; Gold mines & mining; Humans; LDCs; Medical sciences; Mercury; Mercury - toxicity; Mercury - urine; Metals and various inorganic compounds; Mining; Occupational diseases; Occupational exposure; Occupational Exposure - adverse effects; Occupational Exposure - analysis; Occupational hazards; Occupational medicine; Occupational Medicine/Industrial Medicine; Occupations; Poverty; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Rehabilitation; Review Article; Smelters; Toxicology; Urine; Mining; Developing countries; Occupational health; Biomonitoring; Mercury; Human; Gold; Vapor; Transition metal; Review; Occupational exposure; Biological monitoring; Heavy metal; Mine; Environment; Occupational medicine; Bibliographic review

Purpose Extraction of gold using mercury has been a way out of poverty for millions of people in developing countries. Artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has expanded during the last decades and is often carried out under primitive conditions. Thus, workers in this industry may be exposed to h...