Abstract
Through 1996 into 1997, a spot investigation on mercury contamination was conducted three times in Tanzania, especially around the Lake Victoria. A total of 150 goldminers, 103 fishermen and their families, and 19 residents of Mwanza City volunteered for the current study. A high total mercury level of 48.3 ppm (near to 50 ppm, a critical level of Minamata disease) and over in the head hair was observed in six goldminers (highest value, 953 ppm), four fishermen and their families (highest value, 416 ppm), and four Mwanza people (highest value, 474 ppm). With the exception of these 14 subjects, however, each mean total mercury level was well within the normal range (below 10 ppm). Out of the goldminers examined, 14 cases were diagnosed as a mild form of inorganic-mercury poisoning according to their clinical symptoms (such as polyneuropathy mercurialis, neuroasthemia, or tremor mercurialis) and the low ratio of methylmercury to total mercury, whereas neither inorganic-mercury poisoning nor methylmercury poisoning (Minamata disease) was noted in the fishermen and their families or in the Mwanza people. In addition, some subjects who showed a high total mercury level made habitual use of toilet soap containing much mercury. The findings obtained suggest that the mercury pollution in Tanzania is not very serious, however, it should be observed continuously. Copyright (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 249-256 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Science of the Total Environment |
| Volume | 227 |
| Issue number | 2-3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 9 1999 |
Fingerprint
Keywords
- Fishermen
- Gold mining
- Head hair
- Hg-soap
- Inorganic-mercury poisoning
- Lake Victoria
- Tanzania
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Environmental Chemistry
- Environmental Science(all)
Cite this
Monitoring of mercury pollution in Tanzania : Relation between head hair mercury and health. / Harada, Masazumi; Nakachi, Shigeharu; Cheu, Taketo; Hamada, Hirotaka; Ono, Yuko; Tsuda, Toshihide; Yanagida, Kohichi; Kizaki, Takako; Ohno, Hideki.
In: Science of the Total Environment, Vol. 227, No. 2-3, 09.03.1999, p. 249-256.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Monitoring of mercury pollution in Tanzania
T2 - Relation between head hair mercury and health
AU - Harada, Masazumi
AU - Nakachi, Shigeharu
AU - Cheu, Taketo
AU - Hamada, Hirotaka
AU - Ono, Yuko
AU - Tsuda, Toshihide
AU - Yanagida, Kohichi
AU - Kizaki, Takako
AU - Ohno, Hideki
PY - 1999/3/9
Y1 - 1999/3/9
N2 - Through 1996 into 1997, a spot investigation on mercury contamination was conducted three times in Tanzania, especially around the Lake Victoria. A total of 150 goldminers, 103 fishermen and their families, and 19 residents of Mwanza City volunteered for the current study. A high total mercury level of 48.3 ppm (near to 50 ppm, a critical level of Minamata disease) and over in the head hair was observed in six goldminers (highest value, 953 ppm), four fishermen and their families (highest value, 416 ppm), and four Mwanza people (highest value, 474 ppm). With the exception of these 14 subjects, however, each mean total mercury level was well within the normal range (below 10 ppm). Out of the goldminers examined, 14 cases were diagnosed as a mild form of inorganic-mercury poisoning according to their clinical symptoms (such as polyneuropathy mercurialis, neuroasthemia, or tremor mercurialis) and the low ratio of methylmercury to total mercury, whereas neither inorganic-mercury poisoning nor methylmercury poisoning (Minamata disease) was noted in the fishermen and their families or in the Mwanza people. In addition, some subjects who showed a high total mercury level made habitual use of toilet soap containing much mercury. The findings obtained suggest that the mercury pollution in Tanzania is not very serious, however, it should be observed continuously. Copyright (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
AB - Through 1996 into 1997, a spot investigation on mercury contamination was conducted three times in Tanzania, especially around the Lake Victoria. A total of 150 goldminers, 103 fishermen and their families, and 19 residents of Mwanza City volunteered for the current study. A high total mercury level of 48.3 ppm (near to 50 ppm, a critical level of Minamata disease) and over in the head hair was observed in six goldminers (highest value, 953 ppm), four fishermen and their families (highest value, 416 ppm), and four Mwanza people (highest value, 474 ppm). With the exception of these 14 subjects, however, each mean total mercury level was well within the normal range (below 10 ppm). Out of the goldminers examined, 14 cases were diagnosed as a mild form of inorganic-mercury poisoning according to their clinical symptoms (such as polyneuropathy mercurialis, neuroasthemia, or tremor mercurialis) and the low ratio of methylmercury to total mercury, whereas neither inorganic-mercury poisoning nor methylmercury poisoning (Minamata disease) was noted in the fishermen and their families or in the Mwanza people. In addition, some subjects who showed a high total mercury level made habitual use of toilet soap containing much mercury. The findings obtained suggest that the mercury pollution in Tanzania is not very serious, however, it should be observed continuously. Copyright (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
KW - Fishermen
KW - Gold mining
KW - Head hair
KW - Hg-soap
KW - Inorganic-mercury poisoning
KW - Lake Victoria
KW - Tanzania
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0032938580&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0032938580&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0048-9697(99)00031-5
DO - 10.1016/S0048-9697(99)00031-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 10231987
AN - SCOPUS:0032938580
VL - 227
SP - 249
EP - 256
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
SN - 0048-9697
IS - 2-3
ER -