Author/Editor     Kobal, Alfred B
Title     Impact of the mercury mine on the health of miners and inhabitants of the town of Idrija
Translated title     Vpliv rudnika živega srebra na zdravje rudarjev in prebivalcev Idrije
Type     članek
Source     Sanitas et labor
Vol. and No.     Letnik 2, št. 1
Publication year     2001
Volume     str. 143-53
Language     eng
Abstract     Mercury was discovered in Idrija five hundred years ago. The Mercury Mine operated continuously, with minor interruptions, until 1993. In the 18th and 19th centuries, some very well-known physicians worked in Idrija and provided thorough descriptions of the first cases of mercury poisoning. Workers in the pit and smelting plant were exposed to silica dust, ionizing radiation and high concentrations of mercury vapors. In the first twenty years after the Second World War, the number of mercury poisonings rose rapidly. Only by improving the health protection of exposed workers was it possible to reduce the number of poisonings; it was not until the biological monitoring. of exposure was introduced that we were able to completely eliminate the hazard of mercury poisoning. Because of the mine's operation the town and its surroundings are very polluted. Mercury content in, soil is extremely elevated. In some parts of the town, the concentrations of mercury vapours in air have reached up to 120 ng/m3. In individual houses built on the remains of ore-smelting residues, radon concentrations have surpassed 1000 Bq/m3. The results of a study conducted before 1990 showed a high incidence of lung cancer among the inhabitants of Idrija. More recent data also point to the increased incidence of lung cancer. The results of studies performed on miners in the past four years have shown an increase in the mortality of miners due to lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Lung cancer is probably caused by the combined action of mercury, radon and its offspring, and silica dust. It is our opinion that mercury enhances cardiovascular diseases by stimulating the peroxidation of lipids and, consequently, arteriosclerosis. Another significant factor for the incidence of these diseases is nutrition. (Abstract truncated at 2000 characters).
Summary     Živo srebro so v Idriji odkrili pred 500 leti. Rudnik živega srebra je deloval z manjšimi presledki vse do.leta 1995. V 18. in 19. stoletju so v Idriji delovali nekateri zelo znani zdravniki, ki so temeljito opisali prve zastrupitve z živim srebrom. Pri delu v jami in topilnici so bili delavci izpostavljeni kremenovemu prahu, ionizirnemu sevaju in visokim koncentracijam živosrebrnih hlapov. Prvih 20 let po drugi svetovni vojni je število zastrupitev z živim srebrom močno poraslo. Šele z izboljšanjem varovanja zdravja izpostavljenih delavcev smo uspeli zmanjšati število zastrupitev; ob uvedbi biološkega nadzora izpostavljenosti pa smo zastrupitve popolnoma preprečili. Zaradi delovanja rudnika je okolje v mestu in okolici zelo onesnaženo. Vsebnost živega srebra v zemlji je izredno povišana. V nekaterih predelih mesta koncentracije hlapov živega srebra v zraku še vedno dosegajo tudi 120 ng/m3. V posameznih hišah, ki leže na ostankih prežgane rude koncentracije radona presegajo vrednosti 1000 Bq/mj. Rezultati raziskave; kje potekala pred letom 1990, kažejo, da prebivalci Idrije zbolevajo za pljučnim rakom zelo pogosto. Tudi novejši podatki kažejo povečano obolevanje za pljučnim rakom. Raziskave, ki so bile opravljene v Zadnjih štirih letih so odkrile, da rudarji zelo pogosto umirajo za pljučnim rakom, obolenji ožja in silikozo pljuč. Pljučni rak se pojavlja najverjetneje zaradi sočasnega delovanja živega srebra, radona s potomci in silikogenega prahu. Obolenja ožilja srca pa po naši oceni pospešuje živo srebro, ki povečuje peroksidacijo maščob in s tem tudi tveganje za nastanek ateroskleroze. Pri pojavljanju teh bolezni je seveda pomembna tudi prehrana. Zaradi onečiščenja okolja in prizadetosti bivših delavcev rudnika in prebivalcev mesta z okolico je potrebno pripraviti ustrezen preventivni program za izboljšanje varovanja in ohranjevanja zdravja ljudi.
Descriptors     MINING
MERCURY
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
MERCURY POISONING
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE