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. 2019 Jun 26;16(13):2252.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph16132252.

Heavy Metals in California Women Living in a Gold Mining-Impacted Community

Julie Von Behren  1   2 , Ruiling Liu  3 , Jane Sellen  4 , Christine N Duffy  3   5 , Ryszard Gajek  6 , Key-Young Choe  6 , Josephine DeGuzman  6 , M Katy Janes  4 , Joanne Hild  4 , Peggy Reynolds  3   5
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Heavy Metals in California Women Living in a Gold Mining-Impacted Community

Julie Von Behren et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Gold mining activities occurred throughout the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, leaving behind persistent toxic contaminants in the soil, dust, and water that include arsenic and cadmium. Despite a high level of concern among local residents about potential exposure and high breast cancer rates, no biomonitoring data has been collected to evaluate the levels of heavy metals. We conducted a study to characterize the urinary levels of heavy metals among women in this region by working with the community in Nevada County. Sixty women provided urine samples and completed a questionnaire. We examined levels of arsenic, cadmium, and other metals in relation to the length of residency in the area, age, dietary factors, recreational activities, and smoking. We compared urinary metal levels in participants to levels in the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Overall, study participants had higher urinary levels of arsenic than women in the national sample. Cadmium levels were similar to the national average, although they were elevated in women ≥35 years who had lived in the region for 10 years or more. Arsenic levels were higher among women who smoked, ate fish, ate home-grown produce, and who reported frequent hiking or trail running, although these differences were not statistically significant. This study established a successful community-research partnership, which facilitated community dialogue about possible human health consequences of living in a mining-impacted area.

Keywords: California; arsenic; cadmium; gold mining; heavy metals.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Map of abandoned mine sites in western Nevada County, California. Insets show Gold Country counties. (Source: US Geological Survey).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Metal levels in urine among study participants (CHIME), Nevada Country, California, compared to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) with 95% confidence bars.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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