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Occupational Medicine 1998;48:413-415
© 1998 Society of Occupational Medicine

case-report

Mercury toxicity due to the smelting of placer gold recovered by mercury amalgam

A. M. Donoghue

The Medical Centre, Mount Isa Mines Limited Mount Isa Queensland, Australia

A 19-year-old man developed tremor in both hands and fatigue after starting work at a placer gold mine where he was exposed to mercury-gold amalgam. Examination revealed an intention tremor, dysdiadochokinesis and mild rigidity. The 24-h urinary mercury concentration reached a peak of 715 nmol/l (143 ug/l) shortly before the clinical examination, after which he was removed from working in the gold room [Mercury No. Adverse Effect Level: 250 nmol/l (50 ug/l)]. On review 7 weeks later his tremor had almost resolved and the dysdiadochokinesis and rigidity had gone. The 24-h urinary mercury concentration had fallen to 160 nmol/l (32 ug/l). The principal exposure to mercury was considered to be the smelting of retorted gold with previously unrecognized residual mercury in it. The peak air concentration of mercury vapour during gold smelting was 0.533 mg/m3 (Mercury Vapour ACGIH TLV: 0.05 mg/m3 TWA). Several engineering and procedural controls were instituted. This episode occurred at another mine site, unrelated to Mount Isa Mines Limited.

Keywords      Amalgam; gold; mercury; mining; smelting

Received       17 December 1997
Accepted        9 March 1998

Correspondence (no reprint requests please) to: Dr A. M. Donoghue, Chief Occupational Physician, The Medical Centre, Mount Isa Mines Limited, Private Mail Bag, Mount Isa, Queensland 4825, Australia


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