Mapping of Health Disorders Related to Mercury on Community around the Bone River, Gorontalo Province

Abstract

Health problems associated with mercury depend on the amount of Hg levels that enter the body and accumulate in it. Symptoms that arise from the mildest of paresthesia to more severe symptoms of ataxia, dysarthria can even cause death. This study aims to map health-related health problems of mercury in the Bone River, Gorontalo Province. The Bone River is a river in Gorontalo Province has been polluted by heavy metals mercury due to traditional mining activities that dispose of the mercury-containing mining process to the river water. The health disorders described from the mapping, indicating that the tremor neurological disorder is most significant, especially at sample point V (closest to the mining) with a positive sample percentage of 28.6%. This concludes that prominent symptoms in humans associated with mercury are neurologic symptoms, especially tremor (through nasal examination). Other symptoms are not specific. Further research is needed to conduct a deeper assessment of health problems in the community, especially associated with neurobehavior and neurocognition, both in adults and in children.