first_page Download PDF settings Order Article Reprints Font Type: Arial Georgia Verdana Font Size: Aa Aa Aa Line Spacing:    Column Width:    Background: Open AccessAbstract Genetic Damage and Multi-Elemental Exposure in Populations in Proximity to Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Areas in North Colombia † by Pedro Espitia-PérezPedro Espitia-Pérez SciProfiles Scilit Preprints.org Google Scholar 1,*, Lyda Espitia-PérezLyda Espitia-Pérez SciProfiles Scilit Preprints.org Google Scholar 1, Claudia Galeano-PáezClaudia Galeano-Páez SciProfiles Scilit Preprints.org Google Scholar 1, Karina Pastor-SierraKarina Pastor-Sierra SciProfiles Scilit Preprints.org Google Scholar 1, Ana Marcela Peñata-TabordaAna Marcela Peñata-Taborda SciProfiles Scilit Preprints.org Google Scholar 1, Tatiana Dillenburg Saint'PierreTatiana Dillenburg Saint'Pierre SciProfiles Scilit Preprints.org Google Scholar 2, Solange Cristina GarcíaSolange Cristina García SciProfiles Scilit Preprints.org Google Scholar 3 and Hugo BrangoHugo Brango SciProfiles Scilit Preprints.org Google Scholar 4 1 Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Grupo de Investigación Biomédica y Biología Molecular, Universidad del Sinú, Calle 38 Carrera 1W, Barrio Juan XXIII, Montería 230001, Colombia 2 Departamento de Química, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), Rua Marquês de São Vicente, 225, Gávea, Rio de Janeiro 38097, Brazil 3 Laboratorio de Toxicologia (LATOX), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Ipiranga, Porto Alegre 2752, Brazil 4 Departamento de Matemáticas y Estadística, Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla 081007, Colombia * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. † Presented at the 1st International Electronic Conference on Toxics, 20–22 March 2024; Available online: https://sciforum.net/event/IECTO2024. Proceedings 2024, 102(1), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2024102048 Published: 3 April 2024 Download keyboard_arrow_down Download PDF Download PDF with Cover Download XML Download Epub Versions Notes Keywords: artisanal and small-scale gold mining; multi-elemental exposure; trace elements; genetic damage Colombia has seen a significant increase in total gold production. The bulk of auriferous material extraction and processing is conducted through artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), predominantly focusing on exploiting alluvial deposits. In the northern region of Colombia, a highly active zone for gold production, the intense ASGM activities have resulted in a substantial release of pollutants into the environment, adding to the already present Hg contamination. These pollutants, notably As, Co, Pb, Mn, and Zn, are recognized carcinogens, posing potential combined health risks to the local populations through unknown additive or synergistic effects. This study aimed to assess cytogenetic damage in isolated human peripheral lymphocytes using the cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome assay (CBMN-Cyt) and its association with multi-elemental exposure measured via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis of hair samples. The study encompassed 112 healthy subjects, comprising 39 individuals from an unexposed area (Cotorra municipality) and 73 residents from the 'La Mojana' region, known for its high Hg contamination and intense gold mining activities. The findings revealed a significant increase in micronuclei (MNBN), nucleoplasmic bridges (NPB), and frequencies of necrotic and apoptotic cells in binucleated cells among individuals living in proximity to ASGM areas. Hair samples indicated elevated levels of toxic elements such as Pb, Hg, As, Cd, and Ba in exposed residents, while essential elements like Mg, Mn, V, and Sr showed a similar pattern. Positive associations were observed between Hg exposure and MNBN, whereas increased Mn and Pb levels were correlated with NPB. Considering MNBN frequency as a predictive biomarker of cancer risk, our results underscore the potential risks posed by this economic activity and multi-elemental exposure to environmentally exposed communities. This emphasizes the critical need for further research in this specific area to inform governmental decision-making. Author ContributionsConceptualization, methodology, data analysis, P.E.-P., L.E.-P., C.G.-P., K.P.-S. and A.M.P.-T.; ICP-MS hair element determination, data analysis, T.D.S.P. and S.C.G.; Data curation and statistical analysis, H.B. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.FundingThis research was supported by COLCIENCIAS/Colombia (Grant number 128356934331/2013), Universidad del Sinú/Colombia (UNISINU).Institutional Review Board StatementThe study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Committee on Research Ethics of the University of Sinú (UNISINU), including the research protocol, survey instrument, and informed consent procedures (Acta No 002/2014).Informed Consent StatementInformed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.Data Availability StatementData is unavailable to protect the sensitive information of certain ethnical communities located in gold mining areas.Conflicts of InterestThe authors declare no conflict of interest.Disclaimer/Publisher's Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Share and Cite MDPI and ACS Style Espitia-Pérez, P.; Espitia-Pérez, L.; Galeano-Páez, C.; Pastor-Sierra, K.; Peñata-Taborda, A.M.; Saint'Pierre, T.D.; García, S.C.; Brango, H. Genetic Damage and Multi-Elemental Exposure in Populations in Proximity to Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Areas in North Colombia. Proceedings 2024, 102, 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2024102048 AMA Style Espitia-Pérez P, Espitia-Pérez L, Galeano-Páez C, Pastor-Sierra K, Peñata-Taborda AM, Saint'Pierre TD, García SC, Brango H. Genetic Damage and Multi-Elemental Exposure in Populations in Proximity to Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Areas in North Colombia. Proceedings. 2024; 102(1):48. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2024102048 Chicago/Turabian Style Espitia-Pérez, Pedro, Lyda Espitia-Pérez, Claudia Galeano-Páez, Karina Pastor-Sierra, Ana Marcela Peñata-Taborda, Tatiana Dillenburg Saint'Pierre, Solange Cristina García, and Hugo Brango. 2024. "Genetic Damage and Multi-Elemental Exposure in Populations in Proximity to Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Areas in North Colombia" Proceedings 102, no. 1: 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2024102048 Article Metrics No No Article Access Statistics Multiple requests from the same IP address are counted as one view.