Health Impact Assessment of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Area in Myanmar, Mandalay Region: Preliminary Research

Increasing artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in developing countries has raised health concerns in mining communities. A preliminary health survey was conducted in Thabeikkyin Township, Mandalay Region, Myanmar, in February 2020 to assess the health conditions of an ASGM community. Respir...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2020-09, Vol.17 (18), p.6757
Main Authors: Kyaw, Win Thiri, Kuang, Xiaoxu, Sakakibara, Masayuki
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Developing countries
Gold
Gold mines & mining
Hair
Health surveys
Heavy metals
Intoxication
LDCs
Lung diseases
Mercury
Metallurgy
Mining
Mining industry
Nervous system
Pulmonary functions
Questionnaires
Respiratory function
Signs and symptoms
Smoking
Surveys
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Summary:Increasing artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in developing countries has raised health concerns in mining communities. A preliminary health survey was conducted in Thabeikkyin Township, Mandalay Region, Myanmar, in February 2020 to assess the health conditions of an ASGM community. Respiratory function and other clinical assessments were evaluated in miners and non-miners, and participants’ hair was analyzed for heavy metals. Respiratory function of miners was similar to that of non-miners. However, miners’ respiratory function declined with longer mining activity duration. In total, 3 out of 18 miners showed neurological signs and symptoms of chronic mercury intoxication. The median concentration of the hair mercury was significantly higher in miners than non-miners (P = 0.01), and 9 out of 18 miners and 2 out of 11 non-miners showed the warning level of mercury. We found that, despite an association between declining respiratory function and length of time mining, only a minority of miners showed clinical features of chronic mercury intoxication. Further clinical surveys with a larger sample size are necessary to determine the broader health status of this community. In addition, clinical indicators such as pulmonary function tests are recommended as additional criteria for the diagnosis of mercury intoxication.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph17186757