Paper Title
Chromosomal Aberrations Observed in Two Fejervarya SPP Living in Artisanal Mining Farms in Phichit Province, Thailand
Abstract
Artisanal mining for gold is an easy to implement and fast growing farmhouse industry with a high impact on the
environment due to the mobilized arsenic from the gold-ore and mercury from the mining process. The current study aims to
detect levels of arsenic and mercury in the habitat and the frogs to report the chromosomal aberrations of the Fejervarya spp
living in the contaminated areas. Sediments from the mines had elevated arsenic concentrations but not mercury. Frogs from
the mines contained elevated mercury concentrations above Thailand’s food quality standard and trace arsenic concentrations
below Thailand’s food quality standard. Frogs living in the mining reference site, site 1 and site 2 showed 9, 62 and 25 percent
chromosomal aberration respectively. Statistical analysis revealed that site one was significantly different in comparison to
the reference P = 0.047. However, site 2 was not significantly different regardless of the difference in percentages P = 0.138.
The observed chromosomal aberrations with the tissue concentrations hints at an exposure to all life living in the mining sites
including humans which may lead to devastating results in the years to come. The authorities needs to be informed of these
results so as to inform, educate and mitigate the farming communities from inevitable future hazard.
Index Terms - Arsenic, chromosomal aberration, Mercury, Fejervarya limnocharis, Fejervarya cancrivora.