Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Rome, Italy.
Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Rome, Italy.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Mar 15;17(6):1911. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17061911.
Small-scale or artisanal mining, using gold-mercury amalgamation to extract gold from ore, is a significant source of exposure for the workers and nearby populations. Few studies on hair mercury (Hg) have been conducted in Africa despite the fact that Africa has several gold deposits. No studies have been conducted in Eritrea that is one of the emerging gold producing countries in Africa. The aim of the study was to assess the Hg concentration in hair samples ( = 120) of a population living in Asmara, capital of Eritrea, and to evaluate the influence of some factors on the Hg levels in hair. Information on age, height, weight, occupation, smoking and fish consumption of participants were collected via questionnaire. Hair Hg concentration was significantly higher among women compared to men ( < 0.001) and among women preparing spicy products in Medeber market compared to those who did other jobs ( = 0.010). These results highlight the need for routine biomonitoring surveys and for health promotion campaigns devoted to local decision makers and workers.
小规模或手工采矿，使用金汞齐从矿石中提取金，是工人和附近居民暴露的一个重要来源。尽管非洲有几个金矿，但很少有关于头发汞（Hg）的研究。在非洲新兴的黄金生产国之一的厄立特里亚，还没有开展相关研究。本研究旨在评估居住在厄立特里亚首都阿斯马拉的人群的头发样本中的 Hg 浓度（n = 120），并评估一些因素对头发中 Hg 水平的影响。通过问卷收集了参与者的年龄、身高、体重、职业、吸烟和鱼类消费信息。女性头发中的 Hg 浓度明显高于男性（<0.001），在 Medeber 市场准备辛辣产品的女性与从事其他工作的女性相比（=0.010）。这些结果突出表明需要进行常规生物监测调查，并开展针对当地决策者和工人的健康促进活动。
