Using Historic Death Certificate Data to Examine the Potential Impacts of a Copper Mine on Human Health

Keywords: Health, Mining, heavy metals, death certificate, historical, Utah
Session Type: Virtual Lightning Paper Abstract
Day: Saturday
Session Start / End Time: 2/26/2022 03:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/26/2022 05:00 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 36

Abstract

Bingham Canyon, Utah is home to the deepest open pit mine in the world. Copper has been mined there since 1906. In the early 1900s, a settlement developed along the narrow canyon leading to the mine. The town reached its peak population in the 1920s. By 1971, the town was disbanded and has since been mined away. The population lived very close to the mine and were likely exposed to elevated levels of Copper, Lead, Arsenic, Cadmium and Zinc associated with the mine. Death certificate data from Bingham (1904-1960) were indexed, coded according to cause of death and crude death rates due to several causes were investigated in comparison to Springville, a non-mining town of similar size in northern Utah. Analysis of historic death certificate data showed significantly higher frequencies and rates of death due to accidental, respiratory, alcohol and homicidal causes in Bingham compared to Springville and in miners compared to non-miners. The average age of death and average age of adult death was significantly lower for Bingham than Springville. Bingham had a significantly higher percentage of people born out of state and in another country than Springville. The frequency or rates of cardiac, cancer, premature birth/still birth or kidney/pancreas and appendix related deaths were not significantly higher in Bingham as might be expected if heavy metal poisoning was a big issue. This is likely because these causes of death tend to occur in older age and many in Bingham were dying prematurely.