Analysis of impaired kidney function in the community around the Morosi nickel mines

Abstract

Preliminary studies showed that almost 50% of the people around the Morosi nickel mining industry had very high creatinine levels (26 mmol/l). High creatinine levels indicate impaired kidney function. This study aims to analyze the determinants of high creatinine levels in the urine of people around the Morosi nickel mines. There were 61 participants who were interviewed and urine samples were taken to test their creatinine levels. High levels of creatinine indicate kidney disorders. Measurement of creatinine levels used urine reagent strips 13G. Then it was connected between the condition of water sources, houses, solid and liquid waste management with the participants' creatinine levels with the multinomial regression statistical test. The house condition and liquid waste management had significant association with creatinine levels (P=0.005 and P=0.026, respectively). More than 80% of people lived in houses with good condition and had very low creatinine levels (≤0.9 mmol/l). Most of them had done appropriate liquid waste management (63.9%). However, water sources and solid waste management had no association with creatinine levels (P=0.195 and P=0.130, respectively). The majority of them had used good water sources such as piped and gallon water (80.3%). There were only 19.7% of them who used dug wells and 60.7% who throw their solid waste into the river or burn it. This study concludes that house condition and liquid waste management determine of the high urine‑creatinine levels of people leaving around the Morosi Nickel Mining Industries.

Keywords

• water
• sanitation
• kidney
• nickel
• mining