Comparative Evaluation of Heavy Metal Concentrations in Residents of Abandoned Metal Mines

Jeong-wook Seo and Young-seoub Hong
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Jeong-wook Seo: Environmental Health Center, Dong-A University, Busan 49201, Korea
Young-seoub Hong: Environmental Health Center, Dong-A University, Busan 49201, Korea

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 17, 1-16

Abstract: This study compares the heavy metal exposure levels of the population of abandoned metal mines, with high risks of environmental pollution and health effects. We used data from a two-stage abandoned metal mines survey (AMS, n = 4467). The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) and the Korea National Environmental Health Survey (KNEHS) were used as general population data. Based on the sex and age distribution in the AMS, a simple random sampling was performed, so that the two datasets had the same distribution (KNHANES n = 1815, KNEHS n = 2328). Blood lead concentrations were slightly higher in the AMS than in KNEHS. Blood cadmium concentrations were similar between the two groups. However, the difference in urine cadmium concentrations was pronounced and statistically significant. Moreover, 30.6% of the AMS data for urine cadmium concentration exceeded the 95th percentile of the KNEHS data. The concentration of lead and cadmium in the residents of the abandoned metal mines, i.e., the vulnerable regions, was higher than that in the general population. It is necessary to monitor and manage the vulnerable regions via a more active and extensive survey system.

Keywords: abandoned mine; lead; cadmium (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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