Mercury exposure and health impacts among individuals in the artisanal and small-scale gold mining community: a comprehensive review

This review article was published in Environmental Health Perspectives, volume 122 (7). The purpose of the review is to evaluate the current literature regarding the health effects of mercury among those working and/or living in or near artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) communities. The review found that ASGM workers and their families are exposed to mercury vapour and that workers, workers’ families and residents of nearby and downstream communities are consuming fish that is heavily contaminated with methylmercury.