Table 1.
Summary of hair mercury (µg/g) distribution by sex, age, and community.
| Population Grouping | N | Geometric Mean Hair Hg (95% CI) | % Individuals above 1.2 µg/g a | % Individuals above 2.0 µg/g b | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 231 | 2.6 (0.4, 10.5) | 85.7 | 68.4 | |
| Sex and age in years | |||||
| Female | <8 | 32 | 2.5 (0.4, 9.4) | 81.3 | 65.6 |
| 8–17 | 26 | 2.4 (0.9, 6.3) | 92.3 | 65.4 | |
| 18+ | 61 | 2.7 (0.2, 11.5) | 85.2 | 68.9 | |
| Male | <8 | 25 | 1.9 (0.4, 4.8) | 72.0 | 60.0 |
| 8–17 | 31 | 1.9 (0.4, 5.2) | 77.4 | 48.4 | |
| 18+ | 56 | 3.5 (1.2, 10.5) | 96.4 | 85.7 | |
| Community | |||||
| Upstream | SAL | 19 | 1.0 (0.2, 2.6) | 52.6 | 26.3 |
| ITA | 22 | 1.6 (0.7, 3.1) | 68.2 | 31.8 | |
| BMA | 23 | 4.8 (1.8, 11.7) | 100.0 | 91.3 | |
| Midriver (near mining) | SJG | 13 | 3.2 (0.8, 9.9) | 92.3 | 84.6 |
| BOA | 14 | 4.1 (1.4, 14.1) | 92.9 | 92.9 | |
| BOI | 10 | 3.5 (0.9, 9.7) | 90.0 | 80.0 | |
| Downstream | TRE | 23 | 3.3 (1.5, 7.5) | 100.0 | 91.3 |
| PPA | 19 | 2.2 (0.2, 6.8) | 84.2 | 63.2 | |
| BMD | 21 | 2.8 (1.0, 8.5) | 90.5 | 61.9 | |
| PAL | 25 | 2.1 (0.6, 4.3) | 88.0 | 64.0 | |
| PAR | 20 | 2.6 (0.5, 9.4) | 90.0 | 70.0 | |
| VAL | 22 | 3.1 (0.7, 11.3) | 81.8 | 77.3 | |
a USEPA level (1.2 µg/g); b Peruvian government and WHO level (2.0 µg/g).