Mercury pollution in water and its effect on renal function of school age children in gold mining area Sekotong West Lombok

Abstract

Abstract Artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has affected environment, since gold processing released mercury into the environment. Contaminated water was used as drinking water and affected human body. Kidney is one of affected organ by mercury, where children population is vulnerable for poisioned. The objective of this research was to find out mercury pollution in drinking water and its effect on renal function of children in ASGM area Sekotong in West Lombok. This preliminary study design was cross sectional. Sample of drinking water collected from various sources in Taman Sari and Telaga Lebur village. Mercury was assessed by using AAS. Renal function was evaluated from urine sample by using dipstick kit to perform proteinuria. Correlation between contaminated water consumption and renal function was statistically analyzed by Spearman’s test. Mercury level found in water samples taken from well was 4.009 ppb, while from wellspring was 0.724 ppb and 0 ppb from pipe. From 15s samples, 12s samples higher than mercury threshold for drinking water. Two of 30s school age children had positive proteinuria. Spearman’s test showed P-value of 0.000. It concluded that drinking water in ASGM Sekotong West Lombok has been contaminated by mercury and affected kidney function of school-age children.