Mercury Mining in Mexico: I. Community Engagement to Improve Health Outcomes from Artisanal Mining
Mercury Mining in Mexico: I. Community Engagement to Improve Health Outcomes from Artisanal Mining
复制标题
DOI：
10.1016/j.aogh.2016.01.014
复制
发表时间：
2016-01-01
影响因子：
2.9
通讯作者：
Diaz-Barriga, Fernando
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Camacho, Andrea;Van Brussel, Evelyn;Diaz-Barriga, Fernando
背景汞是一种无法销毁的元素，对人类和环境健康构成全球威胁。在拉丁美洲和加勒比，手工和小规模采金业是汞排放、释放和消费的主要来源。然而，另一个令人关切的问题是汞的初级生产。就墨西哥而言，过去两年里，汞矿的非正规生产增加了10倍。考虑到这种情况，一项干预计划被启动，以减少采矿社区的健康风险。该计划的最终目标是引入不同的替代品线停止汞的开采，但在同一时间推出，以社区为基础的发展program. ObjectiveThe本研究的目的是目前的结果，在社区的Plazuela，位于市的Penamiller在克雷塔罗州，方法：采用冷蒸气技术原子吸收光谱法测定尿液和环境样品中的总汞。从6-14岁的儿童中收集尿样，这些儿童从出生起就住在选定的地区。还收集了目前在矿井工作的矿工的尿样。为了确认汞在社区中的存在，从社区成员确定的高风险地区收集了采矿废物、水、土壤和沉积物样本。（尿液样本）;并同意，我们在土壤和沉积物中记录了高浓度的汞。结论考虑到这些结果，并考虑到对汞的风险感知，社区中的汞毒性非常低（采矿是唯一的经济活动），一项综合干预计划已经启动。
BACKGROUND Mercury is an element that cannot be destroyed and is a global threat to human and environmental health. In Latin America and the Caribbean, artisanal and small-scale gold mining represents the main source of mercury emissions, releases, and consumption. However, another source of concern is the primary production of mercury. In the case of Mexico, in the past 2 years the informal production of mercury mining has increased 10-fold. Considering this scenario, an intervention program was initiated to reduce health risks in the mining communities. The program's final goal is to introduce different alternatives in line to stop the mining of mercury, but introducing at the same time, a community-based development program.OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to present results from a preliminary study in the community of Plazuela, located in the municipality of Penamiller in the State of Queretaro, Mexico.METHODS Total mercury was measured in urine and environmental samples using atomic absorption spectrometry by cold vapor technique. Urine samples were collected from children aged 6-14 years and who had lived in the selected area from birth. Urine samples were also collected from miners who were currently working in the mine. To confirm the presence of mercury in the community, mining waste, water, soil, and sediment samples were collected from those high-risk areas identified by members of the community.FINDINGS Children, women, and miners were heavily exposed to mercury (urine samples); and in agreement, we registered high concentrations of mercury in soils and sediments.CONCLUSION Considering these results and taking into account that the risk perception toward mercury toxicity is very low in the community (mining is the only economic activity), an integral intervention program has started.