Inhalational mercury toxicity from artisanal gold extraction reported to the Oregon poison center, 2002-2015.
Clin Toxicol (Phila)
; 54(9): 847-851, 2016 11.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-27338817
ABSTRACT
CONTEXT Mercury exposure has been described among small-scale gold mining communities in developing countries, but reports of inhalational mercury toxicity among home gold extractors in the US remain uncommon. OBJECTIVE:
We sought to identify inhalational mercury exposures and toxicity among artisanal gold extractors.METHODS:
This is an observational case series of a single Poison Center database from 2002-2015. We review all cases of "mercury" or "mercury inhalation" exposures, with detailed description of a recent representative case.RESULTS:
Nine cases were reported, with patients' ages ranging 32-81 years. Eight (89%) patients were male. Seven of eight (88%) patients with acute exposures reported pulmonary symptoms consistent with mercury vapor inhalation such as dyspnea and cough; two (29%) patients had severe toxicity requiring intubation. Four of six (67%) patients had markedly elevated whole blood mercury concentrations up to 346 mcg/L; each received a different chelation regimen. Four (44%) patients used methamphetamines at the time of their exposure. The case report describes a patient with elevated mercury concentrations who required intubation for hypoxic respiratory failure. He received chelation therapy based on chelator availability, with decreasing 24-hour urine mercury concentrations. The house where he was exposed remains uninhabitable from elevated ambient mercury vapor concentrations.CONCLUSION:
Artisanal gold extraction may be associated with inhalational mercury toxicity, including elevated blood mercury concentrations and acute hypoxic lung injury requiring intubation.Key words
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Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Occupational Exposure
/
Inhalation Exposure
/
Mercury
/
Mercury Poisoning
/
Mining
Type of study:
Etiology_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Aged80
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
America do norte
Language:
En
Journal:
Clin Toxicol (Phila)
Journal subject:
TOXICOLOGIA
Year:
2016
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States