{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,4]],"date-time":"2026-10-04T04:32:00Z","timestamp":1791088320416,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,28]],"date-time":"2022-02-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1646006400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>In recent decades, widespread and uncontrolled use of mercury (Hg) in artisanal small-scale gold mining has released thousands of tons of mercury-contaminated waste in the Amazon biome, endangering the largest tropical rainforest worldwide. In this study, we assessed and compared blood Hg levels in individuals living in urban and riverine areas in the lower Tapaj\u00f3s basin and examined the association between Hg exposure and specific biochemical parameters. In total, 462 adults from eight riverine communities and one urban area were assessed. Overall, 75.6% of the participants exhibited Hg concentrations exceeding the safe limit (10 \u00b5g\/L). Hg exposure was higher in the riverine population (90%) than in urban areas (57.1%). Mean Hg levels were 21.8 \u00b1 30.9 \u00b5g\/L and 50.6 \u00b5g\/L in urban and riverine residents, respectively. The mean Hg level was higher in those aged 41\u201360 years in both urban and riparian areas, with riparian residents exhibiting a mean double that of urban residents. The highest glucose and hepatic biomarker levels were detected in the urban area, whereas the highest levels of renal biomarker occurred in the riverine population. Our results indicate that Hg contamination remains a persistent challenge for the urban population of Santar\u00e9m, a major city in the Brazilian Amazon.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph19052816","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,28]],"date-time":"2022-02-28T20:09:57Z","timestamp":1646078997000},"page":"2816","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":60,"title":["Mercury Contamination: A Growing Threat to Riverine and Urban Communities in the Brazilian Amazon"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"19","author":[{"given":"Heloisa do Nascimento de Moura","family":"Meneses","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Programa de P\u00f3s-Gradua\u00e7\u00e3o em Ci\u00eancias da Sa\u00fade (PPGCSA), Universidade Federal do Oeste do Par\u00e1, Rua Vera Paz Av. Vera Paz, s\/n, Bairro Sal\u00e9, 1\u00b0 Pavimento, Unidade Tapaj\u00f3s, 68035-110 Santar\u00e9m, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8004-9079","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marcelo","family":"Oliveira-da-Costa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"WWF-Brasil, CLS 114 Bloco D-35, 70377-540 Bras\u00edlia, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0804-0413","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paulo Cesar","family":"Basta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Escola Nacional de Sa\u00fade P\u00fablica S\u00e9rgio Arouca, Funda\u00e7\u00e3o Oswaldo Cruz, Rua Leopoldo Bulh\u00f5es, 1480, Manguinhos, 21041-210 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cristiano Gon\u00e7alves","family":"Morais","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Programa de P\u00f3s-Gradua\u00e7\u00e3o em Ci\u00eancias da Sa\u00fade (PPGCSA), Universidade Federal do Oeste do Par\u00e1, Rua Vera Paz Av. Vera Paz, s\/n, Bairro Sal\u00e9, 1\u00b0 Pavimento, Unidade Tapaj\u00f3s, 68035-110 Santar\u00e9m, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Romulo Jorge Batista","family":"Pereira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Programa de P\u00f3s-Gradua\u00e7\u00e3o em Ci\u00eancias da Sa\u00fade (PPGCSA), Universidade Federal do Oeste do Par\u00e1, Rua Vera Paz Av. Vera Paz, s\/n, Bairro Sal\u00e9, 1\u00b0 Pavimento, Unidade Tapaj\u00f3s, 68035-110 Santar\u00e9m, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Suelen Maria Santos","family":"de Souza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Programa de P\u00f3s-Gradua\u00e7\u00e3o em Sociedade Natureza e Desenvolvimento (PPGSND), Universidade Federal do Oeste do Par\u00e1, Rua Vera Paz Av. Vera Paz, s\/n, Bairro Sal\u00e9, 1\u00b0 Pavimento, Unidade Tapaj\u00f3s, 68035-110 Santar\u00e9m, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sandra de Souza","family":"Hacon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Escola Nacional de Sa\u00fade P\u00fablica S\u00e9rgio Arouca, Funda\u00e7\u00e3o Oswaldo Cruz, Rua Leopoldo Bulh\u00f5es, 1480, Manguinhos, 21041-210 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"UNEP (2019). Global Mercury Assessment 2018. Environment, UN Environment Programme, Chemicals and Health Branch."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"UNEP (2022, February 25). The Minamata Convention on Mercury and Its Implementation in the Latin America and Caribbean Region [Report; p. 2014]. Pdf. 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