Human brain mercury levels related to exposure to amalgam fillings

Abstract

<jats:p> The safety of dental amalgam as the primary material in dental restoration treatments has been debated since its introduction. It is widely accepted that amalgam restorations continuously release elemental mercury (Hg) vapor, which is inhaled and absorbed by the body and distributed to tissues, including the brain. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the presence of amalgam fillings is correlated with brain Hg level. The Hg levels in the parietal lobes of the brains of 32 cadavers were analyzed with an atomic absorption spectrometer with the mercury hydride system. A total of 32 brain samples were tested; of these, 10 were from cadavers with amalgam fillings, while 22 of them were amalgam free. Hg was detected in 60.0% (6 of 10) of the samples in the amalgam group and in 36.3% (8 of 22) in the amalgam-free group. The average Hg level of the amalgam group was 0.97 ± 0.83 µg/g (minimum: 0.3 µg/g and maximum: 2.34 µg/g), and in the amalgam-free group, it was 1.06 ± 0.57 µg/g (minimum: 0.17 µg/g and maximum: 1.76 µg/g). The results of the present study showed no correlation between the presence of amalgam fillings and brain Hg level. </jats:p>

Rethinking the Dental Amalgam Dilemma: An Integrated Toxicological Approach

“…In a study using brain tissue from autopsies on 32 individuals—10 with dental amalgam fillings and 22 without—the mercury deposition was determined in the parietal lobe. It was found that 60% of the subjects with amalgam fillings had considerably higher levels of mercury compared to only 36% of the amalgam-free group [75]. Nevertheless, no correlation was found between the mercury levels in the brain of the subjects with dental (mercury level of 0.97 ± 0.83 µg/g) or without dental amalgam (mercury level of 1.06 ± 0.57 µg/g); however, these results are not reliable because some patients were included whose teeth had been removed but had dental amalgam in earlier times.…”

“…New epidemiological studies are starting to emerge providing stronger evidence favoring a connection of dental amalgams with some neurological diseases. While little if any convincing evidence had been reported in most studies, a New Zealand investigation claimed a link between amalgam exposure and multiple sclerosis [75]. Extensive epidemiological work in Taiwan (using over 200,000 subjects) reported a higher risk of Alzheimer disease for individuals (age 65 and over) with dental amalgams compared to the no-amalgam control.…”

Risk Assessment to the Health of Amazonian Indigenous For the Consumption of Fish, Meat of Hunts and Vegetables Containing Metylmercury

“…The scientific restlessness regarding the human exposure to different organomercurial compounds such as HgMe is mainly due to its slow elimination by the organism, and according to Ertas et al (2014) extend for years in the brain and according to Kim et al (2015) also in the kidneys. Several studies have demonstrated the neurotoxic effects of HgMe in populations exposed to this contaminant.…”

Methylmercury exposure during prenatal and postnatal neurodevelopment promotes oxidative stress associated with motor and cognitive damages in rats: an environmental-experimental toxicology study

“…In the 1950 s, large amounts of Hg-containing industrial waste were dumped into a Japanese bay, poisoned people that consumed local seafood [9] , and resulted in peripheral vision loss, dysarthria, and cerebellar ataxia [10] . Since the so-called Minamata disease, the detrimental effects of Hg have been investigated in humans [11] , [12] , [13] , in vitro , and in vivo experimental models [14] , [15] , [16] , [17] .…”