Inequalities In High Mercury Levels Distribution In Bogotá, Colombia

Abstract

Introduction: Measuring and understanding inequalities in health is of great concern for scientists and policy makers; and the effects of mercury in population's health are a issue that currently is taking great concern because of increasing artisanal gold mining in some developing countries. Objective: quantify the distribution of people with high blood/hair mercury levels by socioeconomic classification of their residence. Methods: we used information of mercury concentrations in 400 people of Bogotá (2011), and a socioeconomic classification of its residence area, for a total of 81 residence areas in the city. GINI Index, Lorenz curve, Concentration Index and concentration curve were calculated using the proportion of people with high mercury levels by area of residence as health outcome. Results: GINI Index: 0.661, Concentration Index: 0.036, the concentration curve has a non-monotonous shape, indicating a turning point when accumulated population reaches 75%. Conclusions: the GINI Index found reflects a great inequality in de distribution of the proportion with high mercury levels between areas of the city, but when we take in account the concentration index, that inequality is smaller, and has a complex behavior.