Mercury environmental exposure

Dinman BD, Evans EE, Linch AL Organic mercury—environmental exposure, excretion, and prevention of intoxication in its manufacture. AMA Arch Ind Health 18 248-260, 1958... 

Mercury is mined predominantly as HgS in cinnabar ore and is then converted commercially to a variety of chemical forms. Key industrial and commercial applications of mercury are found in the electrolytic production of chlorine and caustic soda the manufacture of electrical equipment, thermometers, and other instruments fluorescent lamps dental amalgam and artisanal gold production. Use in pharmaceuticals and in biocides has declined substantially in recent years, but occasional use in antiseptics and folk medicines is still encountered. Thimerosal, an organomercurial preservative that is metabolized in part to ethylmercury, has been removed from almost all the vaccines in which it was formerly present. Environmental exposure to mercury from the burning of fossil fuels, or the bioaccumulation of methylmercury in fish, remains a concern in some regions of the world. Low-level exposure to mercury released from dental amalgam fillings occurs, but systemic toxicity from this source has not been established. 

Langworth S. Early effects of occupational and environmental exposure to inorganic mercury (dissertation). Karolinska Institute Stockholm, Sweden 1992. 

Hodgson S, Nieuwenhuijsen MJ, et al."Kidney disease mortality and environmental exposure to mercury." Am J Epidemiol 2007 ... 

Hair has been used in the biomonitoring of various elements, for example, arsenic, thallium, and zinc, and has been used in the monitoring of drugs and biological substances. The level of mercury in hair is widely used as a biological indicator for exposure to methyl mercury (MeHg). In addition, hair samples have been utilized to evaluate environmental exposure to pollutants such as lead, and occupational exposures to metals such as nickel and chromium. However, the ATSDR has stated ... 

T chounwou PB, Ayensu WK, Ninashvili N, and Sutton D (2003) Environmental exposure to mercury and its toxicopathologic implications for public health. Environmental Toxicology 18 149-175. 

Table 5-22. Ongoing Research on Environmental Exposure to Mercury (cont.)...

Roels et al. [38] points out that the analytical techniques identified in Table 1 are not easily available and are not well-suited for routine biomonitoring of occupational or environmental exposures. Instead, indirect biomarkers such as urinary enzymes are often used with success to evaluate mercury exposure and injury. Zalups [35] identifies numerous methods used to detect renal tubular injury induced by mercury. These methods monitor the urinary excretion of enzymes that leak from injured and necrotic proximal tubules, including lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and N-acetyl-P-D-glucosaminidase (NAG). Although advocated by Zalups (35) to detect renal tubular injury, Mason et al. (48) questions the practical utility of such biomarkers in occupational surveillance. According to Mason et al., small increases in NAG, leucine... 

Palmer, C.D., Lewis, M.E., Jr., Geraghty, C.M. et al. (2006) Determination of lead, cadmium and mercury in blood for assessment of environmental exposure a comparison between inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and atomic absorption spectrometry. Spectrochim Acta Part B, 61B (8), 980-990. 

Acosta-Saavedra LC, Moreno ME, Rodriguez-Kessler T, Luna A, Arias-Salvritierra D, Gomez R, Calderon-Aranda ES (2011) Environmental exposure to lead and mercury in Mexican children a real health problem. Toxicol Mech Methods 21(9) 656-666 Adams W, Kimerle RA, Barnett JW (1992) Sediment quality and aquatic hfe assessment. Environ Sci Technol 26 1874-1885... 

De Burbure, C., Buchet, J.-P., Leroyer, A., Nisse, C., Haguenoer, J.-M., Mutti, A., et al., 2006. Renal and neurologic effects of cadmium, lead, mercury, and arsenic in children Evidence of early effects and multiple interactions at environmental exposure levels. Environ. Health Perspect. 114, 584—590. 

The potential toxicity of many trace metals including aluminum, cadmium, mercuiy, lead (Pb), copper, zinc and arsenic is well-established. Among those trace metals posing a serious hazard to health, mercury, cadmium, and lead constitute the greatest risk from environmental exposure. ... 

A.n Exposure and Risk Assessmentfor Mercury, EPA-440/4-85-011, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., 1981. 

Prior to the 1990s phenyhnercuric acetate was the primary bactericide and fungicide in latex and waterborne paints. Because of the increasing concerns of mercury toxicity and the potential for high consumer and occupational exposures to mercury when present in paints, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) induced U.S. manufacturers of PMA and other mercury compounds to withdraw their registrations for use of these substances as biocides in paints (see AIercury). Mercury compounds are used only for very limited, specific purposes, such as the use of phenyhnercuric mXx.2LX.e[55-68-5] as a bactericide in cosmetic eye preparations (see Cosmetics). 

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