Table 3 Maternal total blood mercury levels (T-Hg) by geophagy practices and ASGM activities (N = 1056)
Mercury concentration | |||
|---|---|---|---|
AGSM Community | |||
Groups | Median (IQR/%) | ||
    Practicing geophagy | 1.182 (0.83, 1.8) |  | |
    Not practicing geophagy | 1.195 (0.78, 1.90) | ||
    Working in mine (overall)     Working in mine (geophagy) | 1.14 (0.79, 1.81) 1.09 (0.81, 1.67) | ||
    Working in mining (no geophagy) | 1.2 (0.77, 1.9) | ||
    Not working in mine (Overall) | 1.44 (0.9, 2.36) | ||
    Not working in mine (geophagy) | 1.765 (1.01, 3.08) | ||
    Not working in mine (no geophagy) | 1.21 (0.83, 1.835) |  | |
Group comparison | |||
    Comparison | Median difference | Test statistic | p-value |
    Geophagy practices vs. non-geophagy | 0.68 | χ2 = 12.297 | < 0.0001 |
    Working in mine vs. not working in mine | 0.093 | χ2 = 4.473 | 0.1068 |
Non-AGSM Community | |||
    Practicing geophagy | 1.28 (0.86, 1.58) |  | |
    Not practicing geophagy | 0.78 (0.32, 0.9825) | ||
    Working in mine (overall) | 0.63 (0.32,1.11) | ||
    Working in mine (geophagy) | 1.1 (0.85, 1.45) | ||
    Working in mining (no geophagy) | 0.6 (0.312, 0.98) | ||
    Not working in mine (Overall) | 0.93 (0.47, 1.51) | ||
    Not working in mine (geophagy | 1.49 (1.0725, 1.53) | ||
    Not working in mine (no geophagy) | 0.655 (0.43, 0.66) | ||
Group comparison | |||
    Geophagy practices vs. non-geophagy | 0.68 | 12.296 | < 0.0001 |