Mercury Pollution from Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Myanmar and Other Southeast Asian Countries

Mercury (Hg) is one of the most harmful metals and has been a public health concern according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is the world's fastest-growing source of Hg and can release Hg into the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. Hg h...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2022-05, Vol.19 (10), p.6290
Main Authors: Soe, Pyae Sone, Kyaw, Win Thiri, Arizono, Koji, Ishibashi, Yasuhiro, Agusa, Tetsuro
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biomonitoring
Contamination
Developing countries
Environmental Pollution
Environmental protection
Female
Geosphere
Gold
Gold mines & mining
Health risks
Humans
Hydrosphere
LDCs
Mercury
Mercury - analysis
Mercury pollution
Mining
Myanmar
Natural resources
Poisoning
Pregnancy
Public health
Review
Sediments
Soil contamination
Soil water
United States
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Summary:Mercury (Hg) is one of the most harmful metals and has been a public health concern according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is the world's fastest-growing source of Hg and can release Hg into the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. Hg has been widely used in ASGM industries throughout Southeast Asia countries, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Thailand. Here, 16 relevant studies were systematically searched by performing the PRISMA flow, combining the keywords of "Hg", "ASGM", and relevant study areas. Mercury concentrations exceeding the WHO and United States Environmental Protection Agency guideline values were reported in environmental (i.e., air, water, and soil) and biomonitoring samples (i.e., plants, fish, and human hair). ASGM-related health risks to miners and nonminers, specifically in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Myanmar, were also assessed. The findings indicated severe Hg contamination around the ASGM process, specifically the gold-amalgamation stage, was significantly high. To one point, Hg atmospheric concentrations from all observed studies was shown to be extremely high in the vicinity of gold operating areas. Attentions should be given regarding the public health concern, specifically for the vulnerable groups such as adults, pregnant women, and children who live near the ASGM activity. This review summarizes the effects of Hg in Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries. In the future, more research and assessment will be required to investigate the current and evolving situation in ASGM communities.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph19106290