Product Description:
Mercury is neurotoxic and has been associated with neurodevelopmental disabilities in children. Andean gold miners and their children may be exposed to elemental mercury (Hg) in the gold/Hg amalgamation process, and methylmercury (MeHg) from the consumption of Hg contaminated fish. This field study investigated Hg levels in urine and hair samples from Andean children of indigenous Saraguro and Metizo gold miners in the Nambija, Ecuador gold mining settlement, where Hg is widely used in gold extraction. Spot samples of urine were taken in the early morning via a single void from 80 children. Hair samples of 1-3 cm were collected concurrently from 80 children in an area of the cranium 2-3 cm above the nape of the neck. Urine samples were used to determine the level of inorganic mercury burden, while hair samples were used as an index of persistent MeHg exposure. The mean level of Hg in urine (HgU) was 10.9 µg/L (SD: 21.6; geometric mean: 5.7; range: 1 to 166 µg/L), and the mean level of Hg in hair (HgH) was 6.0 µg/g (SD: 17.4; geometric mean: 2.8; range: 1 to 135 µg/g). The upper quartile for HgU was 9.0 µg/L, and the upper quartile for HgH was 3.0 µg/g. The 90th percentile for HgU samples was 25.0 µg/L, and the 90th percentile for HgH was 7.0 µg/g. A regression analysis showed a significant association (r = 0.404, p = 0.0007) between matched HgU and HgH samples. The mean HgU and HgH levels tended to be higher for children aged 6 to 14 years than for a younger group aged 0.75 to 5 years. The findings of this investigation revealed a wide range of Hg concentration levels in the urine and hair of Andean children of gold miners which may place these children at risk for neurodevelopmental and learning disorders.
