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. 2021 Feb 6;18(4):1555.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph18041555.

Health Studies in the Context of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining: A Scoping Review

Hermínio Cossa  1   2   3 , Rahel Scheidegger  4 , Andrea Leuenberger  1   2 , Priska Ammann  1   2 , Khátia Munguambe  3   5 , Jürg Utzinger  1   2 , Eusébio Macete  3   6 , Mirko S Winkler  1   2
Affiliations

Health Studies in the Context of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining: A Scoping Review

Hermínio Cossa et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is an important livelihood activity in many low- and middle-income countries. It is widely acknowledged that there are a myriad of health risk and opportunities associated with ASM. However, little is known with regard to which aspects of health have been studied in ASM settings. We conducted a scoping review of peer-reviewed publications, using readily available electronic databases (i.e., PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) from inception to 14 July 2020. Relevant information was synthesized with an emphasis on human and environmental exposures and health effects in a context of ASM. Our search yielded 2764 records. After systematic screening, 176 health studies from 38 countries were retained for final analysis. Most of the studies (n = 155) focused on health in ASM extracting gold. While many of the studies included the collection of environmental and human samples (n = 154), only few (n = 30) investigated infectious diseases. Little attention was given to vulnerable groups, such as women of reproductive age and children. Our scoping review provides a detailed characterisation of health studies in ASM contexts. Future research in ASM settings should address health more comprehensively, including the potential spread of infectious diseases, and effects on mental health and well-being.

Keywords: artisanal and small-scale mining; health effects; health hazards; injuries and fatalities; low- and middle-income countries; mercury.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study, data collection, analyses and findings´ interpretation as well as in the writing of the manuscript or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure A1
Figure A1
Biomarkers determined in non-edible plants and frequency of reporting articles (n = 10). In total, 14 pollutants were reported. Note: As, arsenic; Ba, barium; Cd, cadmium; Co, cobalt; Cr, chromium; Cu, copper; Fe, iron; Hg, mercury; Mn, manganese; Mo, molybdenum; Ni, nickel; Pb, lead; Se, selenium; and Zn, zinc.
Figure A2
Figure A2
Environmental pollutants measured in mine tailings samples (n = 7). Note: As, arsenic; Cd, cadmium; Co, cobalt; Cr, chromium; Cu, copper; Fe, iron; Hg, mercury; Mn, manganese; Ni, nickel; Pb, plumb; Sb, antimony; Ti, titanium; and Zn, zinc.
Figure 1
Figure 1
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow chart indicating the number of articles that were searched in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (WoS), screened, and included in the current scoping review (ASM, artisanal and small-scale mining).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Geographical and temporal distribution of included articles (n = 176) per country (A) and year of publication (B). Source: authors’ compilation from extracted data; national administrative boundaries dada ware obtained at Anomaly Hotspots of Agricultural Production (ASAP) (https://mars.jrc.ec.europa.eu/asap/files/gaul0_asap_v04.zip) [46].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Overview of the characteristics of the 176 included health studies. Three main approaches for studying health were employed, including (i) health assessment (HA); (ii) human biomonitoring (HBM); and (iii) health risk assessment (HRA). Overlaps indicate studies for which more than one approach was used.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Overview of the main study type clusters, and a conceptual framework of exposure assessment and health outcome investigation strategies. Overlaps exist between different approaches; hence, frequency exceeds the total of 176 included studies.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Type of ASM studied as a function of extracted commodities. The numbers indicate the total of reporting studies. Note: Al, aluminium; Bau, bauxite; Cas, cassiterite; Co, cobalt; Cr, chrome; Cu, copper; Ge, gemstones; Lime, limestones; Mn, manganese; Peg, pegmatite; San, sandstones; Sph, sphalerite; and Tnz, tanzanite.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Profile of investigated environmental samples and pollutants. Numbers are frequency of reporting articles. Panel (A), type of examined samples and Panel (B), type of investigated pollutants. Note: Hg, mercury; Pb, lead; Zn, zinc; As, Arsenic; Cd, cadmium; Cu, copper; Cr, chromium; Ni, nickel; Mn, manganese; Fe, iron; Co, cobalt; and (*) other environmental pollutants reported in few studies (e.g., 1 to 4 studies, each).
Figure 7
Figure 7
Human samples and biomarker profile. Investigated biomarkers include heavy metals and metalloids. Numbers are frequency of reporting articles. Panel (A), type of examined samples and Panel (B), type of investigated pollutants. Note: CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; DNA, deoxyribonucleic acid; Hg, mercury; Pb, lead; Zn, zinc; As, arsenic; Cu, copper; Ni, nickel; Mn, manganese; Ti, titanium; and (*) other chemical pollutants reported in few studies (e.g., 1 to 3 studies, each).
Figure 8
Figure 8
Main and sub-categories of adverse health conditions investigated at both population and individual level in ASM settings. Note: DNA, deoxyribonucleic acid; Hg, mercury, HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; MSD, musculoskeletal disorders; and STIs, sexually transmitted infections. Other adverse health outcomes are reported in less than four studies, each.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Health risk indices reported 46 out of 176 included studies. Figures represent the number of studies reporting each index. Note: PEL, permissible exposure limit.
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