Abstract
Skeletal material from 36 people, dating from the early Christian era, who lived by or worked in the notorious Roman copper mines of Phaeno, were analysed to determine their exposure to copper and lead. We demonstrate that many of the bones analysed had a substantially higher concentration of these cations than modern individuals exposed to metals through industrial processes. Health, toxicological and environmental implications of these data are reviewed.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 297-307 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Toxicology and Industrial Health |
Volume | 18 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jul 2002 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Toxicology
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Keywords
- ancient industry
- ancient pollution
- copper
- human bone
- lead
- smelting