Department of Environmental Health and Biology, University of Eldoret, P.O Box 1125, Eldoret, Kenya.
Inorganic Geochemistry, Centre for Environmental Geochemistry, British Geological Survey, Nottingham, NG12 5GG, UK.
Environ Geochem Health. 2023 Aug;45(8):6543-6565. doi: 10.1007/s10653-023-01647-z. Epub 2023 Jun 20.
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) represents 20% of gold supply and 90% of gold mining workforce globally, which operates in highly informal setups. Pollutants from mined ores and chemicals introduced during gold processing pose occupational and inadvertent health risks to the extent that has not been well elucidated in Africa. Trace and major elements were analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in soil, sediment and water samples from 19 ASGM villages in Kakamega and Vihiga counties. Associated health risks for residents and ASGM workers were assessed. This paper focuses on As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni and Pb for which 96% of soil samples from mining and ore processing sites had As concentrations up to 7937 times higher than the US EPA 12 mg kg standard for residential soils. Soil Cr, Hg and Ni concentrations in 98%, 49% and 68% of the samples exceeded respective USEPA and CCME standards, with 1-72% bioaccessibility. Twenty-five percentage of community drinking water sources were higher than the WHO 10 µg L drinking water guideline. Pollution indices indicated significant enrichment and pollution of soils, sediment and water in decreasing order of As > Cr > Hg > Ni > Pb > Cd. The study revealed increased risks of non-cancer health effects (98.6) and cancer in adults (4.93 × 10) and children (1.75 × 10). The findings will help environment managers and public health authorities better understand the potential health risks in ASGM and support evidence-based interventions in ASGM processes, industrial hygiene and formulation of public health policy to protect residents and ASGM workers' health in Kenya.
手工和小规模采金（ASGM）占全球黄金供应的 20%和全球采金劳动力的 90%，其作业方式高度非正规。从矿石中提取的污染物和在采金过程中引入的化学物质对职业和意外健康造成的风险在非洲尚未得到充分阐明。使用电感耦合等离子体质谱法分析了来自卡卡梅加和维希加县 19 个 ASGM 村庄的土壤、沉积物和水样中的痕量和主要元素。评估了居民和 ASGM 工人的相关健康风险。本文重点关注砷、镉、铬、汞、镍和铅，这些元素的 96%的土壤样本中砷浓度高达美国环保署规定的住宅土壤砷标准的 7937 倍。98%、49%和 68%的土壤铬、汞和镍样本浓度分别超过各自的美国环保署和加拿大环境部标准，生物可利用度为 1-72%。25%的社区饮用水水源超过世界卫生组织 10µg L 的饮用水指南。污染指数表明，土壤、沉积物和水中的砷污染显著富集，依次为砷>铬>汞>镍>铅>镉。研究表明，成年人（98.6）和儿童（4.93×10）的非癌症健康影响和癌症风险增加。研究结果将帮助环境管理者和公共卫生当局更好地了解 ASGM 中的潜在健康风险，并支持在 ASGM 流程、工业卫生和制定公共卫生政策方面采取循证干预措施，以保护肯尼亚居民和 ASGM 工人的健康。
