Abstract
Extensive studies have showed that alluvial gold mining is a predisposing factor for mercury toxicity through occupational exposure. In our systematic review of related literature, we aim to determine if children of alluvial gold miners were at risk of exposure to methyl mercury toxicity through dietary exposure. This was achieved through applying Cochrane PICO methodology for the research question. We selected only the most relevant articles from the thousands of articles that were generated by the Divine Word University (DWU) electronic data base system for our review. Further screening questions were applied based on the CASP method which filtered remaining 105 to only 9 papers for the review. The results from the nine (N = 9) studies analysed showed convincing results of the association between consumption of fish contaminated with methyl mercury and poor growth and development in children whose parents lived near mining sites. We conclude that since mercury is the predominant element used in the extraction of gold in alluvial mining, it is an exposure pathway for methyl mercury toxicity for children through dietary exposure.
Highlights
Artisan and small scale mining (ASSM) are widely practiced in developing countries of the world and Papua New Guinea (PNG) is no exception
The results from the nine (N = 9) studies analysed showed convincing results of the association between consumption of fish contaminated with methyl mercury and poor growth and development in children whose parents lived near mining sites
Within the Wau and Bulolo area of Morobe province in PNG this is a normal practice and ASSM has been in PNG for decades[4]; no assessments have been done to assess the risks to human health either from dietary exposure or environmental exposure to organic mercury
Summary
Artisan and small scale mining (ASSM) are widely practiced in developing countries of the world and Papua New Guinea (PNG) is no exception. Z. Begani to separate the element from the alluvium[1]. Vaporised mercury can eventually ends up in the soil and river systems through natural elements such as the hydrological cycle whereby it is converted into methyl mercury contaminating fish predominantly[3]. Within the Wau and Bulolo area of Morobe province in PNG this is a normal practice and ASSM has been in PNG for decades[4]; no assessments have been done to assess the risks to human health either from dietary exposure or environmental exposure to organic mercury
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