Effects of Exposure to Mercury in the Manufacture of Chlorine

Smith, Ralph G.; Vorwald, Arthur J.; Patil, Lokesh; Mooney, Thomas F.

doi:10.1080/0002889708506315

Cited by 162 publications

(81 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…To our knowledge, this is the highest Hg concentration in urine ever reported, being about 90-fold higher than the health-based occupational exposure limit level (50 μg/g creatinine) set by WHO (6). From the previous studies, the ratio between Hg concentration in urine (μg/L or μg/g creatinine) and Hg concentration in air (μg/m 3 ) was 1-3 (11,(18)(19)(20)(21). From this ratio, the Hg level in the air of the working environment was estimated to range from about 3 hundreds to 1 thousands μg/m 3 in average.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

High exposure of Chinese mercury mine workers to elemental mercury vapor and increased methylmercury levels in their hair

Sakamoto

Feng

et al. 2007

Environ Health Prev Med

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the level of exposure of mercury (Hg) miners and smelter workers to elemental mercury (Hg 0 ) vapor in China, who work in Hg mines without using protective equipment against Hg 0 vapor. In addition, the level of methylmercury (MeHg) intake by the workers was estimated from the MeHg concentration in their hair.Methods: Urinary total mercury (THg) and hair THg and MeHg concentrations were measured in 26 Hg miners and smelter workers (i.e., exposed group), and 48 unexposed people (unexposed group).Results: The exposed group showed high geometric mean THg concentrations in urine (258 ng/ml, 226 μg/g creatinine) and hair (20.0 μg/g). The urinary THg concentration of the smelter workers in particular was extremely high (338 μg/g creatinine in urine). The highest urine THg concentration reached 4577 μg/g creatinine. THg concentrations in urine and hair showed a significant correlation in the exposed group (r=0.62), indicating the adhesion of Hg 0 vapor to hair. However, no such significant correlation was found in the unexposed group. Hair MeHg concentration in the exposed group (1.97 μg/g) was about threefold higher than that in the unexposed group (0.60 μg/g).Conclusions: This study shows that smelter workers in a Chinese Hg mine are exposed to extremely high levels of Hg 0 vapor, and that Hg miners are exposed to higher levels of MeHg than the unexposed subjects. Further study is needed to determine the cause of the higher hair MeHg concentration in the exposed group.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

High exposure of Chinese mercury mine workers to elemental mercury vapor and increased methylmercury levels in their hair

Sakamoto

Feng

et al. 2007

Environ Health Prev Med

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In 1970, Smith et al published an investigation of 642 workers from 21 chloralkali plants in the United States (15). Both blood and urine were analyzed for mercury four times a year, and air analyses were made at several stations in the work areas.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual mercury exposure of chloralkali workers and its relation to blood and urinary mercury levels.

Lindstedt¹,

Gottberg²,

Holmgren³

et al. 1979

Scand J Work Environ Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Symptoms of metallic mercury poisoning may first appear in children at mercury levels of 50-100 pg/g creatinine, and tremor is typically the first symptom observed (23). Unfortunately, detailed epidemiologic studies such as those undertaken to assess dose-response relationships in subclinical lead poisoning in children (7,8,24) have not yet been performed in the case of subdinical mercury exposure.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A cluster of pediatric metallic mercury exposure cases treated with meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA)

Forman

Moline

Cernichiari

et al. 2000

Environ Health Perspect

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Nine children and their mother were exposed to vapors of metallic mercury. The source of the exposure appears to have been a 6-oz vial of mercury taken from a neighbor's home. The neighbor reportedly operated a business preparing mercury-filled amulets for practitioners of the Afro-Caribbean religion Santeria. At diagnosis, urinary mercury levels in the children ranged from 61 to 1,213 microg/g creatinine, with a geometric mean of 214.3 microg/m creatinine. All of the children were asymptomatic. To prevent development of neurotoxicity, we treated the children with oral meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA). During chelation, the geometric mean urine level rose initially by 268% to 573.2 microg mercury/g creatinine (p<0.0005). At the 6-week follow-up examination after treatment, the geometric mean urine mercury level had fallen to 102.1 microg/g creatinine, which was 17.8% of the geometric mean level observed during treatment (p<0.0005) and 47.6% of the original baseline level (p<0.001). Thus, oral chelation with DMSA produced a significant mercury diuresis in these children. We observed no adverse side effects of treatment. DMSA appears to be an effective and safe chelating agent for treatment of pediatric overexposure to metallic mercury. Images Figure 1

show abstract

Effects of Exposure to Mercury in the Manufacture of Chlorine

Cited by 162 publications

References 0 publications

High exposure of Chinese mercury mine workers to elemental mercury vapor and increased methylmercury levels in their hair

High exposure of Chinese mercury mine workers to elemental mercury vapor and increased methylmercury levels in their hair

Individual mercury exposure of chloralkali workers and its relation to blood and urinary mercury levels.

A cluster of pediatric metallic mercury exposure cases treated with meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About