In artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) the toxic metal mercury is used for gold extraction. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to assess mercury concentrations in urine and blood and mercury-related symptoms of participants identifying themselves as miners from Kadoma and Shurugwi, Zimbabwe. Moreover, we aimed to explore possible risk factors influencing mercury body burden. In 2019, urine and blood samples of 207 participants were collected and analyzed for mercury using atomic absorption spectroscopy. All participants answered questions regarding their exposure risks. The median urine mercury value was 4.75 μg/L with a maximum of 612 μg/L. Median mercury concentration in creatinine corrected urine values was 3.98 μg/g with a maximum value of 478 μg/g. The median blood mercury value was 2.70 μg/L with a maximum of 167 μg/L. Correlations between exposure risks factors such as the lack of retort use and elevated mercury values were assessed. ASGM is very common in Zimbabwe. Thus, mercury exposure is a major occupational health risk for miners. Moreover, this study emphasizes the impact of exposure risk factors on the mercury body burden.

在手工和小规模金矿开采（ASGM）中，有毒金属汞用于提取金。这项横断面研究的目的是评估参与者的尿液和血液中的汞含量以及与汞有关的症状，这些参与者将自己确定为来自津巴布韦Kadoma和Shurugwi的矿工。此外，我们旨在探讨影响汞体内负担的可能风险因素。2019年，收集了207名参与者的尿液和血液样本，并使用原子吸收光谱法分析了汞的含量。所有参与者都回答了有关其暴露风险的问题。尿液汞中位数为4.75μg/ L，最大值为612μg/ L。肌酐校正尿液中的汞中位数浓度为3.98μg/ g，最大值为478μg/ g。血液中位数汞值为2.70μg/ L，最大值为167μg/ L。评估了暴露风险因素之间的相关性，例如缺乏脱水缸使用和汞含量升高。ASGM在津巴布韦非常普遍。因此，汞暴露是矿工的主要职业健康风险。此外，这项研究强调了暴露风险因素对汞体内负担的影响。