POTENCIAL EXPOSIÇÃO AO MERCÚRIO ATMOSFÉRICO NO AMBIENTE OCUPACIONAL DE COMÉRCIOS DE OURO DE PORTO VELHO, RONDÔNIA
| Autor: | Wanderley Rodrigues Bastos, Diego F. Gomes, Marília Higino Mussy, Ronaldo de Almeida, Leidiane Caroline Lauthartte, Igor Bruno Barbosa de Holanda |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Předmět: |
mercury
gold commercialization General Chemistry 010501 environmental sciences Madeira River 01 natural sciences gold mining lcsh:Chemistry 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine lcsh:QD1-999 Environmental science 030212 general & internal medicine 0105 earth and related environmental sciences |
| Zdroj: | Química Nova, Vol 41, Iss 9, Pp 1055-1060 |
| ISSN: | 1678-7064 |
| Popis: | The gold mining in the Madeira River basin is performed by dredges and ferries that extract from the bottom of the river alluvial gold which is amalgamated with mercury (Hg). Throughout the process of gold purification, the Hg can be recovered by retort or crucible distillation. Subsequently, the gold is taken to the city of Porto Velho for commercialization, once more being smelted with blowtorch for jewelry making. This study aims to evaluate the Hg concentration exposed in the atmosphere of gold shops via an atomic absorption spectrophotometer coupled to portable cold steam generation (LUMEX) and to determine the occupational exposure through the analysis of urine samples of gold shops workers. Eleven gold shops and twenty workers were investigated. Some risky situations which may accompany the health of employees, such as poor ventilation, lack of exhaust systems and unhealthy places, have been verified in loco. The results showed atmospheric concentrations of Hg above the limits established by WHO, which is at most 200 ng m-3 in four gold shops. All examined presented total Hg results in the urine below the occupational limit of (50.00 μg L-1). |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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