The Effect of Heavy Metals in Mining Emissions on Worker’s Blood Lead Levels: A Case Study of The Gumushane Zn-Pb Mine, Turkey

Year 2025, Volume: 15 Issue: 1, 241 - 251, 01.03.2025

Pınar Bozbeyoğlu , Onur Doğan , Burhan Budak

https://doi.org/10.21597/jist.1508335

Abstract

The wastewater from mining facilities contains toxic elements such as arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), and lead (Pb). If not disposed of correctly, it can lead to environmental pollution in case of accidents or overflow. Lead-zinc mining activities pose a significant risk of high blood lead levels (BLLs) among workers. Therefore, monitoring the blood lead levels of workers exposed to these heavy metals, especially lead, is crucial.
This study aims to determine the levels of potentially harmful elements in the wastewater dam of the largest Zn-Pb mine in the Black Sea Region. It also seeks to assess the environmental and human health risks comprehensively. Additionally, the study aims to establish a relationship between the levels of lead in the mining wastewater in Gumushane and the lead levels accumulated in the blood of workers exposed to this metal.
The study analyzed heavy metals such as As, Zn, Cu, Sb, and Pb in mining wastewater using Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS). The results indicated high levels of Pb in the studied wastewater. Furthermore, the blood lead levels of workers in the mining area (n=30; mean: 7.42 μg/dL) exceeded background levels (>40 μg/dL). These results suggest a significant relationship between the presence of lead in wastewater and high lead levels in the blood of individuals with high exposure to concentrated lead.

Keywords

blood lead levels (BLLs),, heavy metals,, mining, wastewater, ICP-MS

Ethical Statement

‘‘The Effect of Heavy Metals in Mining Emissions on Worker’s Blood Lead Levels: A Case Study of Zn-Pb Mine, Turkey’’ the ethics committee application on the subject was discussed at the meeting of the Gümüşhane University Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Committee dated 22/04/2024 and numbered 2024/4; it was unanimously decided that the project complies with the current legislation.

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