113
ISSN Versión impresa: 1992-2159; ISSN Versión electrónica: 2519-5697
Biotempo, 2019, 16(1), ene-jun.: 113-116.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE / ARTÍCULO ORIGINAL
POISONING BY INORGANIC MERCURY IN MINORS IN AN URBAN AREA
OF ILLEGAL MINING
ENVENENAMIENTO POR EL MERCURIO INORGÁNICO EN MENORES EN
UNA ZONA URBANA DE MINERÍA ILEGAL
Jesús Rojas-Jaimes1; Rodrigo Corcuera-Ciudad2,3 & José Iannacone4,5
1 Carrera de Obstetricia, Universidad Privada del Norte, Lima- Perú.
2 Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Cientí ca del Sur, Lima-Perú.
3 Sociedad Cientí ca de Estudiantes de Medicina de la Universidad Cientí ca del Sur (SCIEM UCSUR), Panamericana
Sur Km. 19, Lima- Perú.
4 Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas. Universidad Ricardo Palma. Santiago de Surco, Lima, Perú.
5 Laboratorio de Ecología y Biodiversidad Animal (LEBA). Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemática (FCNNM). El
Agustino, Lima, Perú.
Corresponding author: jesus.rojas.jaimes@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
Mercury is a heavy metal with toxic e ects, especially at the level of the central nervous system. e poisoning by
this metal can be acute when the damage occurs in a limited time or chronic when the deleterious e ect is sustained.
Inorganic mercury poisoning in minors who were never linked to illegal mining, an activity that takes place where
minors reside, was determined. Of 118 children under 18 years, 28.8% (34/118) exceeded the permissible limits (5 µg
Hg·g-1) of creatinine. e percentage of contaminated minors was high given that they are people who are not linked
to mining activity, so they must have been accidentally contaminated by activity generated by someone close to the
minors. is premise was demonstrated in the case of the minor who was contaminated every time the mercury vapor
was emitted by a chimney that was near the window of her room when mercury amalgam was re-founded on the rst
oor of the minor’s residence. A high percentage of contaminated minors was demonstrated. Minors that are not related
to the activity of illegal mining that is a serious threat to public health, especially since this group is highly vulnerable
due to the cognitive development that would be a ected by the inhalation of heavy metals.
Key words: Mercury – minors – poisoning – public health
RESUMEN
El mercurio es un metal pesado con efectos tóxicos, especialmente a nivel del sistema nervioso central. El envenenamiento
por este metal puede ser agudo cuando el daño ocurre en un tiempo limitado o crónico cuando se mantiene el efecto
perjudicial. Se determinó la intoxicación por mercurio inorgánico en menores que nunca fueron vinculados a la minería
ilegal, una actividad que tiene lugar donde residen los menores. De 118 niños menores de 18 años, el 28,8% (34/118)
Revista Biotempo
Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas de la
Universidad Ricardo Palma
(FCB-URP)
ISSN Versión Impresa: 1992-2159; ISSN Versión Electrónica: 2519-5697
Volumen 15 (2) Julio - Diciembre 2018
LIMA / PERÚ
Biotempo (Lima)
doi:10.31381/biotempo.v16i1.2182
Revista Biotempo: ISSN Versión Impresa: 1992-2159; ISSN Versión electrónica: 2519-5697 Rojas-Jaimes et al.
114
INTRODUCCIÓN
Small-scale informal mining is a poverty-related activity
in more than 70 countries, in which mercury is used
to extract gold, associated with high levels of mercury
exposure (Chevier et al., 2009; Langeland et al., 2017). In
Madre de Dios, high levels of mercury have been found
in the population residing in mining areas, as well as in
the non-involved population (Ashe, 2012; Diringer et al.,
2015). Communities located hundreds of km away from
places where small-scale artisanal gold mining takes place
are at risk of exposure to mercury through consumption
of sh with high levels of mercury (Passos & Mergler,
2008; Barbieri & Gardon, 2009; Ashe, 2012; Marques
et al., 2016). Of the sh consumed 60% have mercury
levels above the permitted limits, and there was a 90%
increase in mercury levels in sh between 2009 and 2012
(Fernandez, 2013).
Informal mining in Madre de Dios is widespread and is
one of the most alarming public health problems in that
region, aecting not only people who work or do not
work in mining, but also the environment (Plenge et al.,
2012).
e young are a group very susceptible to mercury
contamination, especially in preconception, pregnancy
and post natal stages due to the relationship with the
development of the central nervous system (Bose-
O`Reilly et al., 2010: Freitas et al., 2019). Volatile
mercury can reach the encephalic level of the fetus,
because it easily crosses the blood-brain barrier and the
placental route (Clarkson et al., 1972). e brain is the
most aected organ, but mercury can also alter renal,
endocrine, muscular and immune functions, as well as
causing severe types of dermatitis and peripheral nerve
involvement (Bernhoft, 2012). In a study reported that
the reference values for people who are not occupationally
exposed should be less than 5 µg Hg·g-1 creatinine (Ashe,
2012; MINSA, 2015). And the detection of mercury in
urine is a validated method and is an ideal marker for
chronic exposure to elemental and inorganic mercury
(Park & Zheng, 2012).
is research evaluates poisoning by inorganic mercury
in minors in an urban area of illegal mining.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Our study analyzed the data of the project in humans
that was carried out cross section and analytical
component titled “Levels of exposure to mercury in the
population of Huepetuhe-Madre de Dios, Peru and risk
factors 2010”. e data was based in a population that
was captured passively on a default sample of 292 people
in the district of Huepetuhe, to whom a urine sample
was requested for the analysis of mercury concentrations.
We selected the data of 118 children less than 18 years
of age not linked to the handling of mercury. e
sample was processed at the National Health Center
Occupational and Environmental Protection for Health
“CENSOPAS”, the validated technique for measuring
mercury that was used was (MET-CENSOPAS-002),
mercury vapor cold-spectrophotometry technique
Atomic absorption AA-400. According to the Reports
of Test No. 048/10-LQ-DEIPCROA-CENSOPAS /
INS not exposed occupationally to those with ranges of
mercury in urine <5ug of Hg/g. creatinine and exposed
persons occupationally with a biological tolerance limit
of mercury in urine <35ug of Hg/g. creatinine.
Ethical aspects: e authors adopted the Declaration of
Helsinki and the Code of Ethics of the World Health
Organization.
excedió los límites permisibles (5 µg Hg·g-1) de creatinina. El porcentaje de menores contaminados fue alto, agregando que
son personas que no están vinculadas a la actividad minera, por lo que deben haber sido contaminadas accidentalmente
por alguna actividad generada por alguien cercano a los menores. Esta premisa se demostró en el caso de una menor, en
la que la niña se contaminaba cada vez que el vapor de mercurio era emitido por una chimenea que estaba cerca de la
ventana de la habitación de la niña cuando la amalgama de mercurio era refundada en el primer piso donde residía la
menor. Se demostró un alto porcentaje de menores contaminados. Menores que no están relacionados con la actividad
de la minería ilegal que genera una situación grave de daños a la salud pública, especialmente siendo este grupo altamente
vulnerable debido al desarrollo cognitivo que se vería afectado por la inhalación de metales pesados.
Palabras clave: Envenenamiento – Mercurio – Menores – Salud pública
Poisoning by inorganic mercury
115
RESULTS
In the data in the study in Huepetuhe (Figure 1), Madre
de Dios, high mercury levels were found in minors
(28.8%) (Figure 2).
Figure 1. Map of the study place.
Figure 2. Values of μg Hg·g-1 in children under age 18
sampled in Huepetuhe, Madre de Dios, Peru.
DISCUSSION
It is presumable that these children are unintentionally
contaminated at the time of mercury amalgam burning.
According to the survey, in this study there were 118
children under 18 years of age not linked to the handling
of mercury, as was veried in the follow-up of a case of
a 12-year-old girl with a value of 217.57 μg Hg· g-1 of
creatinine due to chronic air pollution with exposure on
an average of two years; mercury entered through the
window of the minor each time the amalgam was burned.
Of the total group of children 28.8% (34/118) exceeded
the permissible limits (5 μg Hg· g-1 of creatinine), these
values being surprisingly high. e populations surveyed
were volunteers from the health center in the urban
area of Huepetuhe, a city convulsed by illegal mining
in the middle of a region that boasts one of the greatest
biodiversities in the world (Plenge et al., 2012). It should
be noted that in the urban area there are no mines, the
mining sites being located at an average of 5 km distance
in the surrounding areas. Mercury contamination in
minors is a serious event due to the sustained damage
that is caused to the motor and cognitive system of this
vulnerable population (Clarkson et al., 1972; Bose-
O`Reilly et al., 2010). is constitutes a warning about
the expectation of nding much higher values in a survey
using active recruitment of study subjects, demonstrating
that a large percentage of people including children
become passively contaminated.
ese cases must alert the public health system to the
necessity to take preventive and remediation measures as
contamination aects one of the most vulnerable groups.
Competing Interests: e authors have declared that no
competing interests exist.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
anks to Illa Rocconi Quintanilla for revision of English
text.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES
Ashe, K. 2012. Elevated mercury concentrations in
humans of Madre De Dios, Peru. PLoS One,
7:1–6.
Barbieri, F.L. & Gardon, J. 2009. Hair mercury levels
in Amazonian populations: spatial distribution
and trends. International Journal of Health
Geographics, 8:71.
Bernhoft, R.A. 2012. Mercury toxicity and treatment:
A review of the Literature. Journal of
Environmental and Public Health, 2012: 1–10.
Bose-O`Reilly, S.; McCarty, K., Steckling, N. &
Lettmeier, B. 2010. Mercury exposure and
children’s health. Current Problems in Pediatric
and Adolescent Health Care, 40:186–215.
Mercury/creatinine (µg.g-1
Revista Biotempo: ISSN Versión Impresa: 1992-2159; ISSN Versión electrónica: 2519-5697 Rojas-Jaimes et al.
116
Chevrier, C.; Sullivan, K.; White, R.F.; Comtois, C.;
Cordier, S. & Grandjean, P. 2009. Qualitative
assessment of visuospatial errors in mercury-
exposed Amazonian children. NeuroToxicology,
30: 37–46.
Clarkson, T.W.; Magos, L. & Greenwood, M.R. 1972.
e transport of elemental Mercury into fetal
tissues. Biology of the Neonate, 21:239–244.
Diringer, S.E.; Feingold, B.J.; Ortiz, E.J.; Gallis, J.A.;
Araujo-Flores, J.M.; Berky, A. Pan, W.K. &
Hsu-Kim, H. 2015. River transport of mercury
from artisanal and small-scale gold mining and
risks for dietary mercury exposure in Madre de
Dios, Peru. Environmental Science: Processes &
Impacts, 17:478–487.
Fernández, L. 2013. Mercurio en Madre de Dios:
Concentraciones de mercurio en peces y seres
humanos en Puerto Maldonado. Carnegie
Amazon Mercury Ecosystem Project. Research
Brief1.
Freitas, J.S.; Lacerda, E.M.C.B.; Rodrigues, D.R.Jr.;
Corvelo, T.C.O.; Silveira, L.C.L.; Pinheiro,
M.C. & Givago S. Souza. 2019. Mercury
exposure of children living in Amazonian
villages: inuence of geographical location
where they lived during prenatal and postnatal
development. Anais da Academia Brasileira de
Ciências, 91(Suppl. 1): e20180097.
Langeland, A.L.; Hardin, R.D. & Neitzel, R.L. 2017.
Mercury levels in human hair and farmed sh
near artisanal and small-scale gold mining
communities in the Madre de Dios river basin,
Peru. International Journal of Environmental
Research and Public Health, 14:302.
Marques, R.C.; Bernardi, J.V.E.; Mônica P.L.C. & Dórea,
C.J.G. 2016. Impact of organic mercury exposure
and home delivery on neurodevelopment of
Amazonian children. International Journal of
Hygiene and Environmental Health, 219: 498-
502.
MINSA (Ministerio de Salud). 2015. Guía de Práctica
Clínica para el Diagnóstico y Tratamiento de la
Intoxicación por Mercurio. Dirección General de
Salud de las personas. Lima. pp. 2–9.
Park, J.D. & Zheng, W. 2012. Human Exposure and
Health Eects of Inorganic and Elemental
Mercury. Journal of Preventive Medicine and
Public Health, 34445:344–352.
Passos, C.J.S. & Mergler, D. 2008. Human mercury
exposure and adverse health eects in the
Amazon: a review. Cadernos de Saúde Pública,
Rio de Janeiro, 24 (Sup 4): S503-S520.
Plenge, F.O.; Rojas, J. & Manrique, C. 2012. Minería
informal e ilegal y contaminación con mercurio
en Madre de Dios : Un problema de salud
pública. Acta Médica Peruana, 29:38–42.
Received May 25, 2019.
Accepted June 03, 2019.
