EVALUATING THE NEUROTOXIC IMPACT OF MERCURY EXPOSURE IN THE ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE GOLD MINING IN SOUTH SUMATRA, INDONESIA
The artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) within residential areas becomes one of the sources of mercury contamination in the environment, which has neurotoxic effects on humans, such as dementia. This has garnered significant global interest, and based on a survey conducted by the United States Geological, that around 16 million people are employed in the small-scale mining and processing of gold, primarily in countries such as Ghana, Ecuador, and Indonesia. In this study, a biomedical scientific method was adopted to explore the correlation between neurotoxic effects on cognitive functioning and the magnitude of mercury exposure. The findings of this research showed a direct relationship between the concentration of mercury in hair and the levels of Amyloid-beta (Aβ) 40. Higher levels of mercury in hair are linked to increased levels of Aβ 40 in plasma. Furthermore, there is an inverse association between plasma Aβ 40 levels and the MoCA-Ina score. ASGM processing has become a matter of worldwide concern due to the potential neurotoxic impacts caused by heavy metal contamination, especially mercury, in the resulting tailing waste. The presence of mercury can lead to cognitive impairments of a dimensional type within the local community residing in those regions.
Neurotoxic Impact, Mercury, Exposure, Small-Scale Gold Mining, Indonesia.