Heavy Metal Research Study Review Template Heavy Metal Chosen: Mercury Title of the Study: Mercury Exposure among E-Waste Recycling Workers in Colombia: Perceptions of Safety, Risk, and Access to Health Information 1. What were the objectives of the study? The premise of this study was to investigate the potential adverse long-term and short-term effects of Mercury exposure on factory workers throughout Colombia as a result of e-waste decomposition. ( Jensen M., et.al,2021,pg.1) 2. What was the study location and population? This study was conducted in the cities of Bogotá and Cali. 35 participants were interviewed. The participants interviewed included 22 males and 13 females between the ages of 30 to 39 who had worked at their respective companies from a range of 3 days to 14 years.( Jensen M., et.al,2021,pg.1) 3. What research methods were used? The primary research methods used in this were interviews. Interviews were asked questions about their opinions about working directly with e-waste and other hazardous waste products. ( Jensen M., et.al,2021,pg.2) 4. What specific health issues are caused by this heavy metal? Health issues caused by mercury include but are not limited to anorexia, memory loss, hearing loss and fatigue. (Jensen et.al, 2021,pg.4) 5. What were the findings from the study? The data from this study shows that there are indeed adverse effects on the physical and psychological health of factory workers who were exposed to it on a regular basis. Data revelaed that there were damage to both vision and hearing. ( Jensen M., et.al,2021,pg.2) 6. What was one limitation of the study? One limitation of this study is that the only people analyzed in the study include a language barrier between the interviewees and the interviewers. In addition to this, so employees may have been reluctant to share their opinions on the health risks they face at work for fear of being reprimanded or terminated by their employers (Jensen et.al, 2021,pg.4) 7. If you were to repeat this study what will you do differently? Have a translator that can translate from Spanish to English and vice versa. I would also make sure to keep their personal information confidential so they would feel more comfortable sharing their opinions. 8. Which part of the world would you like to see this study replicated and why? I would like to see this study replicated in India, specifically the city of Kodaikanal. This is due to the fact the mercury contamination of Kodaikanal lake was traced back to a thermometer factory owned by the Hindustan branch of the Unilever company. I think it would be interesting to replicate this study in an area that had one of its main water sources contaminated. 9. What is the global significance of the topic investigated and the findings reported? Mercury exposure is something that many environmental scientists are looking into due it’s numerous negative effects on the health of people who are frequently exposed to such as fatigue and memory loss.
