MERCURY EXPOSURE OF MAROON WORKERS IN THE SMALL-SCALE GOLD MINING IN SURINAM

Suriname is experiencing a revival of small scale gold mining activiti es, with about 10,000 to 15,000 workers involved in 1996. The estimate d production in 1995 is at least 10,000 kg crude gold. Gold is extract ed with mercury and methods used are comparable with those described f or gold mining in the Amazon Basin. Since no data exist on the interna l mercury exposure of workers in Suriname a study was performed. A gro up of mercury-exposed Maroons, who are principally involved in the min ing located in the tropical rainforest, is compared with nonexposed Ma roons living in a non-gold mining area. Blood and urine samples of bot h groups were analyzed for total mercury using an atomic absorption sp ectrometer with an FIAS hydride system. In the study 28 exposed and 17 controls with a comparable mean age (P = 0.544; exposed 27 +/- 7.2 ye ars, n = 26; controls 26 +/- 7.7 years, n = 17), all males, participat ed. The urine levels for both groups differ statistically significantl y from each other (P < 0.001; exposed mean 27.5 +/- 21.1 mu g/g creati nine; controls mean 5.2 a 2.9 pg/g creatinine), This is, however, not the case with the blood levels (P = 0.036: exposed mean 18.1 +/- 11.0 mu g/L, n = 25; controls mean 26.8 +/- 14.6 mu g/L, n = 16). In contra st with blood the urine total mercury levels in this study confirm, on a group basis, exposure to mercury as described for individuals worki ng in the gold mining in the Amazon Basin. (C) 1998 Academic Press.