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Wahl AM, Bose-O'Reilly S, Mambrey V, et al. Analysis of the Mercury Distribution in Blood as a Potential Tool for Exposure Assessment - Results from Two Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Areas in Zimbabwe. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2021;doi: 10.1007/s12011-021-02714-1.
Wahl, A. M., Bose-O'Reilly, S., Mambrey, V., Rooney, J. P. K., Shoko, D., Moyo, D., Muteti-Fana, S., Steckling-Muschack, N., & Rakete, S. (2021). Analysis of the Mercury Distribution in Blood as a Potential Tool for Exposure Assessment - Results from Two Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Areas in Zimbabwe. Biological trace element research, . https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-021-02714-1
Wahl, Anna-Maria, et al. "Analysis of the Mercury Distribution in Blood as a Potential Tool for Exposure Assessment - Results from Two Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Areas in Zimbabwe." Biological trace element research vol. (2021). doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-021-02714-1
Wahl AM, Bose-O'Reilly S, Mambrey V, Rooney JPK, Shoko D, Moyo D, Muteti-Fana S, Steckling-Muschack N, Rakete S. Analysis of the Mercury Distribution in Blood as a Potential Tool for Exposure Assessment - Results from Two Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Areas in Zimbabwe. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2021 Apr 23; doi: 10.1007/s12011-021-02714-1. Epub 2021 Apr 23. PMID: 33893622.
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Biol Trace Elem Res. 2021 Apr 23; doi: 10.1007/s12011-021-02714-1. Epub 2021 Apr 23.

Analysis of the Mercury Distribution in Blood as a Potential Tool for Exposure Assessment - Results from Two Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Areas in Zimbabwe.

Biological trace element research

Anna-Maria Wahl, Stephan Bose-O'Reilly, Viola Mambrey, James P K Rooney, Dennis Shoko, Dingani Moyo, Shamiso Muteti-Fana, Nadine Steckling-Muschack, Stefan Rakete

Affiliations

  1. Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Ziemssenstr. 1, D-80336, Munich, Germany.
  2. Institute of Public Health, Medical Decision Making and Health Technology Assessment, Department of Public Health, Health Services Research and Health Technology Assessment, UMIT (Private University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology), Hall in Tirol, Austria.
  3. University Children's Hospital Regensburg (KUNO-Clinics), University of Regensburg, Clinic St. Hedwig, Regensburg, Germany.
  4. Academic Unit of Neurology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
  5. Tailjet Consultancy Services, Harare, Zimbabwe.
  6. School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Occupational Health Division, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
  7. Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Social Sciences, Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe.
  8. Department of Community Medicine, UZ College of Health Sciences, Harare, Zimbabwe.
  9. Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Ziemssenstr. 1, D-80336, Munich, Germany. [email protected].

PMID: 33893622 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-021-02714-1

Abstract

People in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) areas are frequently exposed to high levels of mercury (Hg). Hg analyses in urine and whole blood are the gold standard of biomonitoring, although this may not provide sufficient information about the source of exposure, e.g., due to the use of Hg for gold extraction or due to nutrition. To evaluate, whether the pharmacokinetic properties of individual Hg species may be useful for exposure assessment, we determined the Hg levels in different blood components from 199 participants. Therefore, whole blood was centrifuged on-site to yield erythrocytes and plasma. Globin was isolated from the erythrocytes by precipitation with ethyl acetate. Albumin was isolated from plasma by gradual precipitation with saturated ammonium sulfate solution. Hg levels in all samples were determined by using a direct Hg analyzer. Median Hg levels for whole blood, erythrocytes, and plasma were 2.7, 3.7, and 1.3 μg/l, respectively. In globin and albumin, median Hg levels were 10.3 and 7.9 μg/kg, respectively. The distribution of Hg was strongly correlated with whole blood Hg levels (p < 0.01) and the time between the last use of Hg and the date of the participation (p < 0.01). The results suggest that the distribution of Hg in blood is substantially affected by the extent and the frequency of the exposure to elemental Hg. Therefore, the analysis of Hg in erythrocytes and plasma may be a valuable tool for Hg exposure assessment in ASGM areas.

Keywords: ASGM; Artisanal and small-scale gold mining; Exposure assessment; Human biomonitoring; Mercury; Zimbabwe

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