Background: Illegal mining pitch and metal ores processing sites are frequently seen in many parts of Nigerian communities. Gold ore processing is widespread in communities of Zamfara State. These activities produce significant amount of dust that pollute the environment. Aim: The study was conducted to determine the extent of exposure to lead and mercury in artisanal gold miners in Bagega and Kawaye districts and Yargalma village of Anka and Bukkuyum Local Government Areas respectively.

Methods: Seventy gold ore miners were recruited from twelve different mining or processing sites of the affected villages. Serum lead determination was carried out using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS Perkin Elmer, 6300 model USA) and mercury was determined by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (Spectra-10 varian). Results: The blood lead and mercury levels of the exposed individuals ranged between 15–561.2 µg/dl and 0.21–196 µg/dl respectively. Majority (75.7%) had blood lead levels beyond 45 µg/dl with