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

Nsambu Mukondwa Pascal,Mputu Kanyinda Jean-Noël,Musibono Eyul’Anki Dieudonné

doi: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.

Highlights

Over the last few decades, gold panning has beaten the record in all gold sites in developing countries in Asia (China, India, Mongolia, Korea, Indonesia, Philippines) [1], Latin America (Bolivia, Amazonia) [2] and Africa (Senegal, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Mali, Tanzania, etc.) [3]
The bloods of gold panners showed the highest average total mercury concentrations compared to those of the bloods of other categories of individuals exposed to mercury (250.425±1.063 μg.L-1), followed in turn by the bloods of gold traders (229.252±1.856 μg.L-1) whose average values of total mercury concentrations in their blood are statistically similar to those of gold panners; individuals living near gold-mercury (Au-Hg) amalgamation incineration sites and gold trading houses (194.992±2.983 μg.L-1); villagers residing in gold panning sites (33.978±2.112 μg.L-1)
Campaign 4 (December 2017), presented the highest values of average total mercury concentrations in hair for all categories of individuals exposed to mercury (66.664±2.842 μg.g-1) followed respectively by Campaign 3 (August 2017) for which the average total mercury concentrations in hair were of the order of 60.872±2.833 μg.g-1 and Campaign 2 (December 2016) (57.328±2.812 μg.g-1) for which the average concentrations of total mercury in hair are statistically equal; and Campaign 1 (August 2016) for which the average concentrations of total mercury in hair were of the order of 44.292±2.802 μg.g-1. These results are consistent with those of other researchers, who have found that total mercury levels in hair vary very significantly depending on the categories of individuals exposed to mercury and the investigative Campaigns. They indicate that total mercury levels in hair increase as the duration of exposure to mercury increases and that total mercury concentrations in hair are very high in the hair of gold panners, followed successively by gold traders, individuals living near gold-mercury (Au-Hg) amalgamation incineration sites and gold trading houses, and villagers living in gold panning sites [22,23,24]

Summary

Introduction

Over the last few decades, gold panning has beaten the record in all gold sites in developing countries in Asia (China, India, Mongolia, Korea, Indonesia, Philippines) [1], Latin America (Bolivia, Amazonia) [2] and Africa (Senegal, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Mali, Tanzania, etc.) [3]. Through this form of gold mining; merchant gold is extracted from its ore and concentrated through both traditional and manual methods and processes using several reagents [4].

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion