Mercury poisoning from artisanal gold mining equipment

Abstract

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining uses mercury to isolate gold from ore. Although uncommon in the United States, it is more common in poor and undeveloped countries. This practice requires heating mercury, which vaporizes into an odorless gas that can be inspired and absorbed into the blood. Inspired mercury vapors place individuals at risk of acute mercury toxicity and its subsequent chronic sequelae. We report a case of incidentally detected mercury foreign bodies in a 56-year-old male with a prior history of accidental mercury poisoning due to prior contact with artisanal gold mining equipment.

Keywords

• Mercury
• Gold mining
• Metallic foreign bodies
• Toxicity