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. 2020 Sep 16;17(18):6757.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17186757.

Health Impact Assessment of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Area in Myanmar, Mandalay Region: Preliminary Research

Win Thiri Kyaw  1 , Xiaoxu Kuang  1 , Masayuki Sakakibara  1   2   3
Affiliations

Health Impact Assessment of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Area in Myanmar, Mandalay Region: Preliminary Research

Win Thiri Kyaw et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Increasing artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in developing countries has raised health concerns in mining communities. A preliminary health survey was conducted in Thabeikkyin Township, Mandalay Region, Myanmar, in February 2020 to assess the health conditions of an ASGM community. Respiratory function and other clinical assessments were evaluated in miners and non-miners, and participants' hair was analyzed for heavy metals. Respiratory function of miners was similar to that of non-miners. However, miners' respiratory function declined with longer mining activity duration. In total, 3 out of 18 miners showed neurological signs and symptoms of chronic mercury intoxication. The median concentration of the hair mercury was significantly higher in miners than non-miners (P = 0.01), and 9 out of 18 miners and 2 out of 11 non-miners showed the warning level of mercury. We found that, despite an association between declining respiratory function and length of time mining, only a minority of miners showed clinical features of chronic mercury intoxication. Further clinical surveys with a larger sample size are necessary to determine the broader health status of this community. In addition, clinical indicators such as pulmonary function tests are recommended as additional criteria for the diagnosis of mercury intoxication.

Keywords: Myanmar; artisanal and small-scale gold mining; health; mercury intoxication; respiratory function; spirometry.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study area. (a) Map of Myanmar with states and regions. (b) Map of the Mandalay Region with districts. (c) Chaung Gyi Village, Thabeikkyin Township, Pyinoolwin District, Mandalay Region.
Figure 1
Figure 1
Study area. (a) Map of Myanmar with states and regions. (b) Map of the Mandalay Region with districts. (c) Chaung Gyi Village, Thabeikkyin Township, Pyinoolwin District, Mandalay Region.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Correlation between the duration of mining, FVC, and FEV1 among miners. (a) Correlation between the duration of mining and FVC (P = 0.001 by Spearman’s Rho correlation test); (b) correlation between the duration of mining and FEV1 (P = 0.007 by Spearman’s Rho correlation test).
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