haracterization of Inhalation Exposure to Gaseous Elemental Mercury During Artisanal Gold 2 Mining and E-Waste Recycling Through Combined Stationary and Personal Passive Samplingg
haracterization of Inhalation Exposure to Gaseous Elemental Mercury During Artisanal Gold 2 Mining and E-Waste Recycling Through Combined Stationary and Personal Passive Samplingg
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Date
2021
Authors
Opoku, Gyamfi
Melanie, A. Snow,
Godfred, Darko
Eugene, Ansah
Knut, Breivik
Christopher, Hoang
Ying, Duan Lei
Frank, Wania
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts
Abstract
While occupational inhalation exposure to gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) has decreased in
13 many workplaces as mercury is being removed from many products and processes, it continues
14 to be a concern for those engaged in artisanal and small-scale gold mining or in recycling
15 mercury-containing products. Recently, stationary and personal passive air samplers based on
16 activated carbon sorbents and radial diffusive barriers have been shown to be suitable for
17 measuring GEM concentrations across the range relevant for chronic health effects. Here, we
18 used a combination of stationary and personal passive samplers to characterize the inhalation
19 exposure to gaseous elemental mercury of individuals living and working in two Ghanaian gold
20 mining communities and working at a Norwegian e-waste recycling facility. Exposure
21 concentrations ranging from < 7 ng/m3 to >500 g/m3
were observed, with the higher end of
22 the range occurring in one gold mining community. Large differences in the GEM exposure
23 averaged over the length of a workday between individuals can be rationalized by their activity
24 and proximity to mercury sources. In each of the three settings, the measured exposure of the
25 highest exposed individuals exceeded the highest concentration recorded with a stationary
26 sampler, presumably because those individuals were engaged in an activity that generated or
27 involved GEM vapors. High day-to-day variability in exposure for those who participated on
28 more than one day, suggest the need for sampling over multiple days for reliable exposure
29 characterization. Overall, a combination of personal and stationary passive sampling is a cost 30 effective approach that cannot only provide information on exposure levels relative to
31 regulatory thresholds, but also can identify emission hotspots and therefore guide mitigation
32 measures.
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Citation
Snow, M. A., Darko, G., Gyamfi, O., Ansah, E., Breivik, K., Hoang, C., ... & Wania, F. (2021). Characterization of inhalation exposure to gaseous elemental mercury during artisanal gold mining and e-waste recycling through combined stationary and personal passive sampling. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, 23(4), 569-579.