Element Rich Area Associated with Human Health Disorders: A Geomedical Science Approach to Potentially Toxic Elements Contamination

Sri Manovita Pateda, Masayuki Sakakibara and Koichiro Sera
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Sri Manovita Pateda: Medical Faculty, Universitas Negeri Gorontalo, Jenderal Sudirman Street 6, Gorontalo City 96100, Indonesia
Masayuki Sakakibara: Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto 603-8047, Japan
Koichiro Sera: Cyclotron Research Center, Iwate Medical University, Takizawa 020-01673, Japan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 22, 1-9

Abstract: (1) Background: Geomedical science focuses on the relationship between environmental impact and human health. The abundance of elements in a geographic area is reflected accumulation of these elements in humans. This study aims to describe the relationship between concentrations of geologic elements and accumulations in the human body as well as element-related symptoms. (2) Methods: Geogenic sampling was conducted in an Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) area and around residential areas in Indonesia, and samples were analyzed using particle-induced X-ray Emission (PIXE). Head hair was sampled, and health assessments were performed to determine heavy metal exposure, especially to copper and mercury. (3) Results: Results show that potentially toxic elements’ accumulation in the human body follows the abundance of these elements in the geographic area, which then affect health and manifest with specific signs and symptoms. East Tulabolo is an area rich in copper (hazard quotient (HQ) in dust = 152.8), and most of the population shows the sign of Kayser–Fleischer rings. Likewise, the Dunggilata area has the highest concentration of mercury, especially in the dust (HQ = 11.1), related to ASGM activity in residential areas. (4) Conclusions: This study concludes that the geogenic concentration of elements parallels the accumulation of human tissue and manifests with element-related signs and symptoms.

Keywords: copper; mercury; geomedical science; Gorontalo (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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