AUTHOR=Afrifa Justice , Opoku Yeboah Kwaku , Gyamerah Eric Ofori , Ashiagbor George , Sorkpor Rosemary Doe TITLE=The Clinical Importance of the Mercury Problem in Artisanal Small-Scale Gold Mining JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health VOLUME=7 YEAR=2019 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00131 DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2019.00131 ISSN=2296-2565 ABSTRACT=

Artisanal small-scale mining is widely operated in various countries serving as a livelihood to many rural communities. However, it is a significant source of environmental mercury contamination which affects human health. Amalgamation and amalgam smelting, two significant steps in the artisanal small-scale mining operations generate lots of mercury vapors, leading to chronic exposure among miners. Thus, this article seeks to provide a topical review of recent findings on organ damage and metabolic disorders among mercury-exposed artisanal small-scale miners with emphasis on the contributing factors such as personal protective equipment usage and artisanal small-scale gold mining-specific occupational activities. Also, insights into the effect of mercury intoxication and mechanisms of action on organ and metabolic systems among exposed individuals are provided.