Human Health Risk Assessment from Mercury-Contaminated Soil and Water in Abu Hamad Mining Market, Sudan

• Published in: Toxics (Basel) Vol. 12; no. 2; p. 112
• Main Authors: Elwaleed, Ahmed, Jeong, HuiHo, Abdelbagi, Ali H, Quynh, Nguyen Thi, Agusa, Tetsuro, Ishibashi, Yasuhiro, Arizono, Koji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 29.01.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: ASGM; Burning; Calibration; Canals; Children; Contamination; Emissions; Environmental aspects; Gold mines & mining; Hazard assessment; hazard quotient; Health aspects; Health hazards; Health risk assessment; Health risks; Ingestion; Inhalation; Irrigation; Management; Mercury; Mercury (metal); Mercury vapor; Mine tailings; Occupational health and safety; Respiration; Retorts; Risk assessment; Soil contamination; Soil pollution; Soil water; Soils; Sudan; Surface water; Tailings; Toxicity; Water analysis; Water quality; Water sampling; Sudan; United States > US; Nile River; health risk assessment; ASGM; mercury; Sudan; hazard quotient
• ISSN: 2305-6304; 2305-6304
• DOI: 10.3390/toxics12020112

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) poses a significant global threat due to mercury emissions and resulting health hazards. This study focuses on assessing these risks in the Abu Hamad ASGM community in Sudan. Utilizing the Mercury Analyzer 3000 (NIC), analyses of twelve soil samples (including one tailings sample) and seven water samples revealed the highest concentrations near amalgam burning locations: 34.8 mg/kg in soil (S06) and 3.26 µg/L in water (W03). Concentrations decrease with distance, with soil near burning exceeding tailings (S05 = 19.0 mg/kg). Hazard quotients indicate mercury vapor inhalation as the primary exposure route from soil, with the Hazard Index reaching 5.34 for adults and 33.4 for children close to amalgam burning sites. Water samples generally pose little risk except for W03, where children face potential danger via ingestion (HI = 1.74). These findings emphasize the urgent need for adopting retorts and eco-friendly practices to reduce mercury emissions and protect ASGM communities.