Нийгмийн эрүүл мэндийн үндэсний төв
Introduction
In connection with request and financial assistance of Swiss Development Agency ‘’Mercury exposure and health impact assessment study among small scale miners in mercury free technology, was conducted by researchers of Toxicology division of NCPH.
Goal
To determine mercury exposure level in biological samples of local small scale miners from mercury free technology introduced area. To reveal chronic mercury intoxicated patients,
Materials and Methods
Totally 147 artisanal miners from 33 cooperatives for small scale mining from Bayan-Îvoo soum of Bayankhongor, Bornuur sum of Tuv, Bayangol, Mandal and Tunkhel sum of Selenge province are participated in this study and the study was performed by cross sectional study methods during April to December, 2014.
Over all 147 participants were in the first part of study, 60.5% out of 147 (89 participants) were in second parts, and another 35.4% (52 people) were participated to the third parts of study. The participants were undergone in to toxicological, dermatological and neurological examinations and the WHO guidance for mercury exposure determination was followed in this study.
Results
On the results of all testing we revealed that there were 2 cases of chronic mercury intoxicated patients from each Bayangol Bornuur soum, 2 from Mandal soum, and 3 from Bayanovoo soum.Overall 7 patients were diagnosed as chronic mercury intoxicated and it comprised 4.7%of (n=147) all involved participants. We have observed that average height of total medical examination number was (2.9) in Bornuur soum. It indicated that there will have higher number of patients would exist in Bornuur soum than others.Our study result has shown that neurological symptoms like tremor and imbalance were more diagnosed among participants from Mandal and Bayngol soums. It implies that the health of the small scale miners from this soum more affected and needed to be investigating further.
Conclusions
Mercury is still being used among artisanal gold miners even thoughit is still illegal. Further medical evaluation and assistance needed to be taken for newly diagnosed 7 patients.
Key words: gold mining, artisanal miners,chronic mercury intoxication, tremor, lost balance
Pp. 43-48 , Tables 5, Figure 1, References 5
