Spatial, Temporal, and Dietary Variables Associated with Elevated Mercury Exposure in Peruvian Riverine Communities Upstream and Downstream of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining

Lauren Wyatt, Ernesto J. Ortiz, Beth Feingold, Axel Berky, Sarah Diringer, Ana Maria Morales, Elvis Rojas Jurado, Heileen Hsu-Kim and William Pan
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Lauren Wyatt: Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
Ernesto J. Ortiz: Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
Beth Feingold: University at Albany School of Public Health, State University of New York, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA
Axel Berky: Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
Sarah Diringer: Pacific Institute, Oakland, CA 94612, USA
Ana Maria Morales: CENSAP, Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios 17000, Peru
Elvis Rojas Jurado: Dirección Regional de Salud de Madre de Dios, Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios 17000, Peru
Heileen Hsu-Kim: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
William Pan: Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 12, 1-23

Abstract: Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is a primary contributor to global mercury and its rapid expansion raises concern for human exposure. Non-occupational exposure risks are presumed to be strongly tied to environmental contamination; however, the relationship between environmental and human mercury exposure, how exposure has changed over time, and risk factors beyond fish consumption are not well understood in ASGM settings. In Peruvian riverine communities ( n = 12), where ASGM has increased 4–6 fold over the past decade, we provide a large-scale assessment of the connection between environmental and human mercury exposure by comparing total mercury contents in human hair (2-cm segment, n = 231) to locally caught fish tissue, analyzing temporal exposure in women of child bearing age (WCBA, 15–49 years, n = 46) over one year, and evaluating general mercury exposure risks including fish and non-fish dietary items through household surveys and linear mixed models. Calculations of an individual’s oral reference dose using the total mercury content in locally-sourced fish underestimated the observed mercury exposure for individuals in many communities. This discrepancy was particularly evident in communities upstream of ASGM, where mercury levels in river fish, water, and sediment measurements from a previous study were low, yet hair mercury was chronically elevated. Hair from 86% of individuals and 77% of children exceeded a USEPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) provisional level (1.2 µg/g) that could result in child developmental impairment. Chronically elevated mercury exposure was observed in the temporal analysis in WCBA. If the most recent exposure exceeded the USEPA level, there was a 97% probability that the individual exceeded that level 8–10 months of the previous year. Frequent household consumption of some fruits (tomato, banana) and grains (quinoa) was significantly associated with 29–75% reductions in hair mercury. Collectively, these data demonstrate that communities located hundreds of kilometers from ASGM are vulnerable to chronically elevated mercury exposure. Furthermore, unexpected associations with fish mercury contents and non-fish dietary intake highlight the need for more in-depth analyses of exposure regimes to identify the most vulnerable populations and to establish potential interventions.

Keywords: mercury; diet; fish; exposure; temporal; ASGM; Madre de Dios; Peruvian Amazon (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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