title: Mercury exposure in female artisanal small-scale gold miners (ASGM) in Mongolia: An analysis of human biomonitoring (HBM) data from 2008.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many poor in developing countries have turned to artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in an attempt to improve their situation. However, the mercury used to extract gold from ore is discharged in vaporized form into the environment, where it poses a hazard for human health.
  
  
  METHODS
  As part of an environmental epidemiological study in Mongolia-to evaluate the burden of environmental mercury contamination-urine, blood and hair samples were collected from residents of areas with or without mercury contamination. A total of 200 blood, urine and hair samples were analyzed for mercury and divided into three subgroups according to mercury content: (1) occupational exposure (high/medium); (2) environmental exposure (low); and (3) no exposure. Internal mercury distributions of the subgroups were compared using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U-test. The Chi-square test and likelihood ratio proportion were used to compare the findings with threshold limits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The highest values and greatest differences were seen in the urine samples (p<0.001, Kruskal-Wallis). The occupational group showing the highest exposure with a median mercury level of 4.36μg/l (control group: 0.10μg/l, p<0.001), 7.18μg/g creatinine and 12 results above the threshold limit HBM I (Human Biomonitoring I). Even participants from the low-exposure subgroup showed elevated mercury levels (median 2.88μg/l urine and 2.98μg/g creatinine, p<0.001), with 10 individuals above the HBM I threshold limits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The body burden resulting from the use of mercury in artisanal gold mining is high not only in the miners themselves, an increased mercury hazard was also found for inhabitants of mining areas who were not actively involved in mining. Public health support measures are urgently needed to alleviate the situation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Information Systems and Health Technology Assessment, UMIT (University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology), Hall in Tirol, Austria.
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Steckling
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boese-O'Reilly
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gradel
authors.forename: Kersten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gutschmidt
authors.forename: Enkhtsetseg
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shinee
authors.forename: Enkhjargal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Altangerel
authors.forename: Burmaa
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Badrakh
authors.forename: Ichinkhorloo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bonduush
authors.forename: Unursaikhan
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Surenjav
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferstl
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Roider
authors.forename: Mineshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Ovnair
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sepai
authors.forename: Gustav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Drasch
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lettmeier
authors.forename: Jackie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morton
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Siebert
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hornberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D001822:Body Burden; D003906:Developing Countries; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006046:Gold; D006197:Hair / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D008906:Mining; D008986:Mongolia; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D006046:Gold; D008628:Mercury