Exposure to Arsenic and Mercury: Associated Pregnancy Outcomes, and Early Infant Developmental Outcomes in Gold Mining Areas in Tanzania

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorDewey, Deborah
dc.contributor.advisorManyama, Mange F.
dc.contributor.authorNyanza, Elias Charles
dc.contributor.committeememberBernier, François P.
dc.contributor.committeememberHatfield, Jennifer M.
dc.contributor.committeememberMartin, Jonathan W.
dc.date2020-06
dc.date.accessioned2020-05-14T18:03:46Z
dc.date.available2020-05-14T18:03:46Z
dc.date.issued2020-04-29
dc.description.abstractThe problem: Prenatal exposure to mercury and arsenic through artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is an under-explored yet salient issue in Tanzania. ASGM operations are known to expose the entire community—including vulnerable pregnant women and children—to arsenic and mercury via the water they drink, the food they eat, the soil in which their food is grown, and the air they breathe. Prenatal exposure to arsenic and mercury is associated with adverse reproductive outcome including spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, low birth weight, and congenital anomalies, and with poorer developmental outcomes in the children. This study used a longitudinal prospective approach to examine the associations between level of exposure prenatally to arsenic and mercury, and reproductive outcomes and early developmental outcomes in ASGM communities in Tanzania. Methods: A total of 1056 (883 in ASGM and 173 in non-ASGM) out of 1078 pregnant women who were recruited during their antenatal care clinics visits consented to participate in this research. We used minimally invasive techniques to collect urine and blood samples for total arsenic (T-As) and total mercury (T-Hg), respectively. For T-As an unprovoked morning urine sample was collected, whereas for T-Hg, a drop of whole blood was collected on filter paper (Whatman #903) following a simple finger prick. All samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Measures of association between maternal T-As or T-Hg exposure, and birth outcomes and early infants’ neurodevelopmental outcome were examined by calculating the coefficient of regression/correlation between variables with their respective 95% confidence interval. Conclusion: Findings from this study revealed that pregnant women living in ASGM communities have elevated arsenic and mercury levels compared to those in non-mining communities. Women in gold mining areas of northern Tanzania had higher incidence of adverse birth outcomes associated with arsenic and mercury exposure. Maternal exposure to mercury but not arsenic was associated with an increased prevalence of severe developmental impairment among infants in gold mining areas of northern Tanzania. These findings suggest that prenatal exposure to arsenic and mercury were associated with adverse reproductive and early developmental outcomes in ASGM communities in Tanzania.en_US
dc.identifier.citationNyanza, E. C. (2020). Exposure to Arsenic and Mercury: Associated Pregnancy Outcomes, and Early Infant Developmental Outcomes in Gold Mining Areas in Tanzania (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/37831
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/112044
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisher.facultyCumming School of Medicineen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.en_US
dc.subjectprenatal exposureen_US
dc.subjectarsenicen_US
dc.subjectmercuryen_US
dc.subjectsmall-scale gold miningen_US
dc.subjectmaternal healthen_US
dc.subjectbirth-outcomen_US
dc.subjectearly developmenten_US
dc.subject.classificationEducation--Healthen_US
dc.subject.classificationHealth Sciencesen_US
dc.subject.classificationPublic Healthen_US
dc.titleExposure to Arsenic and Mercury: Associated Pregnancy Outcomes, and Early Infant Developmental Outcomes in Gold Mining Areas in Tanzaniaen_US
dc.typedoctoral thesisen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineMedicine – Community Health Sciencesen_US
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgaryen_US
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrueen_US
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
ucalgary_2020_nyanza_elias.pdf
Size:
1.77 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Thesis
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
2.62 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Open Theses and Dissertations