Abstract
Artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in the Amazon results in the dumping of tons of mercury into the environment annually. Despite consensus on the impacts of mercury on human health, there are still unknowns regarding: (i) the extent to which mercury from ASGM can be dispersed in the environment until it becomes toxic to humans; and (ii) the economic value of losses caused by contamination becomes evident. The main objective of this study is to propose a methodology to evaluate the impacts of ASGM on human health in different contexts in the Brazilian Amazon. We connect several points in the literature based on hypotheses regarding mercury dispersion in water, its transformation into methylmercury, and absorption by fish and humans. This methodology can be used as a tool to estimate the extent of environmental damage caused by artisanal gold mining, the severity of damage to the health of individuals contaminated by mercury and, consequently, can contribute to the application of fines to environmental violators. The consequences of contamination are evaluated by dose-response functions relating to mercury concentrations in hair and the development of the following health outcomes: (i) mild mental retardation, (ii) acute myocardial infarction, and (iii) hypertension. From disability-adjusted life years and statistical life value, we found that the economic losses range from 100,000 to 400,000 USD per kilogram of gold extracted. A case study of the Yanomami indigenous land shows that the impacts of mercury from illegal gold mining in 2020 totaled 69 million USD, which could be used by local authorities to compensate the Yanomami people.
Highlights
The Minamata disaster in Japan, in which thousands of people were seriously impacted by mercury dumped by various industries, culminated in the Minamata Convention in 2013
We establish links between several factors, using average values from the literature, We establish links between several factors, using average values from the literature, in in a chain which can be divided into two major goals: how mercury used in gold mining a chain which can be divided into two major goals: how mercury used in gold mining is is dispersed in water until it reaches humans, and the quantification of the impact on hudispersed in water until it reaches humans, and the quantification of the impact on human man health from mercury ingestion
To calculate the disability adjusted life years (DALY) related to arterial hypertension, we considered the following parameters: discount rate of 3%; 100% weight for age; disability weight of 0.246 [143]; year onset of disability at the age of 20 years, with a duration of 52 years to meet the 72 years of life expectancy in the northern region of Brazil
Summary
The Minamata disaster in Japan, in which thousands of people were seriously impacted by mercury dumped by various industries, culminated in the Minamata Convention in 2013. World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the six most dangerous substances to health due to its high toxicity and the risks it poses to human health and the environment [2]. Mercury is a heavy metal widely distributed across the planet and is classified as a global pollutant [3,4]. This metal can be found in nature in three main chemical forms: ionic mercurial forms (e.g., Hg[II]), in its elemental form (e.g., Hg0), and in organomercurial forms (e.g., methylmercury) [5]. All mercurial forms have the potential to cause toxic health effects on people, methylmercury is the most dangerous [6].
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