Proof of concept for a passive sampler for monitoring of gaseous elemental mercury in artisanal gold mining

Author(s)

Santos, Elias de Barros ^{[1, 2]} ; Moher, Paleah ^{[3, 4]} ; Ferlin, Stacy ^[5] ; Fostier, Anne Helene ^[5] ; Mazali, Italo Odone ^[6] ; Telmer, Kevin ^{[3, 4]} ; Brolo, Alexandre Guimaraes ^[2]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Inst Sci & Technol, BR-12231280 Sao Jose Dos Campos, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Victoria, Dept Chem, POB 3055, Victoria, BC V8W 3V6 - Canada

^[3] Univ Victoria, Dept Geog, Victoria, BC V8W 3P2 - Canada

^[4] Artisanal Gold Council, C100-633 Courtney St, Victoria, BC V8W 1B9 - Canada

^[5] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Chem, POB 6154, BR-13081970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[6] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Chem, Funct Mat Lab, POB 6154, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS; v. 7, NOV 28 2017.
• Web of Science Citations: 2

Abstract

Mercury emissions from artisanal gold mining operations occurring in roughly 80 developing countries are a major workplace health hazard for millions of people as well as the largest contributor to global mercury pollution. There are no portable, cheap, and rapid methods able to inform workers or health practitioners of mercury exposure on site in remote locations. In this work, a proof of concept for a miniaturized mercury sampler, prepared by the direct reduction of gold into the porous nanostructures of Vycor glass (PVG), is introduced. Mercury retention on the PVG/Au sampler induces significant color changes, due to the formation of Au-Hg amalgam that affects the surface plasmon resonance characteristics of the material. The color change can potentially be quantified by the analysis of pictures obtained with a cell phone camera rapidly and onsite. Laboratory experiments showed the viability of using PVG/Au as passive sampler for monitoring of Hg degrees. PVG/Au samplers were then deployed in an artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) operations in Burkina Faso and it was able to indicate personal mercury exposures. The amount of mercury quantified in the samplers for all miners was higher than the current personal exposure limit set by the US Occupational Safety \& Health Administration (OSHA). (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/03559-7 - Sampling and analitical methods for studies of atmospheric mercury
• Grantee: Anne Helene Fostier
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 13/22127-2 - Development of novel materials strategic for integrated analytical devices
• Grantee: Lauro Tatsuo Kubota
• Support type: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 14/50906-9 - INCT 2014: in Functional Complex Materials
• Grantee: Fernando Galembeck
• Support type: Research Projects - Thematic Grants