Human Mercury Exposure in Yanomami Indigenous Villages from the Brazilian Amazon
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open access
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Article
Date
2018
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MDPI
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Abstract
Abstract
In the Brazilian Amazon, where the majority of Yanomami villages are settled,
mercury (Hg) exposure due to artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has been reported since
the 1980s. This study assessed mercury exposure in the Yanomami reserve and whether the
level of contamination was related to the ASGM geographical location. It was conducted using
a cross-sectional study of 19 villages. Direct interviews were performed and hair samples were
used as a bioindicator of Hg exposure. The Prevalence-Ratio (PR) was estimated as an indicator
of association between ASGM geographical locations and human exposure to mercury. Mercury
levels (239 hair samples) ranged between 0.4 and 22.1 µg·g
−1 and presented substantial differences
amongst the villages. In the Waikas-Aracaça region, where current ASGM was reported, we observed
the highest Hg concentrations (median = 15.5 µg·g
−1
). Almost all participants presented with
hair-Hg levels >6 µg·g
−1
(prevalence = 92.3%). In the Paapiu region, we observed the lowest
concentrations (median = 3.2 µg·g
−1
; prevalence = 6.7%). Our findings showed that the Waikas
Ye’kuana and Waikas Aracaca villages presented with 4.4 (PR = 4.4; Confidence Interval (CI) 95% =
2.2–9.0) and 14.0 (PR = 14.0; CI 95% = 7.9–24.9) times higher prevalence of hair-Hg concentration,
respectively, compared with Paapiu. Considering seasonal variation of Hg-exposure, the lowest
concentrations were observed during the wet season (June–September) and the highest in the dry
season (December–April). Our study suggests that there is an association between mercury exposure
and ASGM geographical locations
Abstract in Spanish
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Description
Keywords in Portuguese
Região Amazônica, Yanomami
Keywords
Brazil, Health of Indigenous Peoples, Indians, South American, Mercury Exposure, Epidemiology
Keywords in Spanish
Keywords in French
DeCS
Brasil, Saúde de Populações Indígenas, Índios Sul-Americanos, Epidemiologia, Intoxicação por Mercúrio, Saúde Ambiental, Meio Ambiente, Ecossistema Amazônico
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VEGA, Claudia; ORELLANA, Jesem; OLIVEIRA, Marcos; HACON, Sandra; BASTA, Paulo. Human Mercury Exposure in Yanomami Indigenous Villages from the Brazilian Amazon. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, v. 15, n. 6, 2018.
ISBN
ISSN
1660-4601
DOI
10.3390/ijerph15061051