A cross-sectional study assessing mercury exposure and poisoning among workers in informal gold mines in French Guiana.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Informal gold mining represents a major source of mercury pollution worldwide. People involved in informal gold mining in French Guiana are mainly migrants from Brazil and represent an exposed, mobile and hard-to-reach population. This study assessed mercury poisoning in this particular population.

Design

This multicentre, cross-sectional survey, conducted in 2022, included participants using snowball sampling.

Setting

Inclusions took place in the logistical rare bases of gold mining at the border between French Guiana and Brazil and French Guiana and Suriname.

Participants

Between September and December 2022, 539 participants were included in the study. Inclusion criteria were being over 18 years, working in gold mines in French Guiana and having le

SUBMITTER: Douine M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12035463 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature