Nakamura K, Naruse I, Takizawa Y
National Institute for Minamata Disease, Minamata, 4058-18 Hama, Kumamoto, 867-0008, Japan.
Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 1999 Sep;44(1):100-4. doi: 10.1006/eesa.1999.1805.
A simplified mass screening method for methylmercury exposure was developed using methylmercury-volatilizing bacteria from Minamata Bay. Some bacteria can transform methylmercury into mercury vapor. Most mercury in the hair is methylmercury, which is readily extracted with HCl solution. Black spots are formed on X-ray film due to the reduction of Ag(+) emulsion with mercury vapor produced by methylmercury-volatilizing bacteria. By exploiting these characteristics, a screening method was developed, whereby the fur of rats injected with methylmercury chloride formed clear black spots on X-ray film, whereas the fur of rats injected with saline did not. Subsequently, 50 human hair samples were examined using this mass screening method. The method identified people who had high mercury concentration, over 20 microg/g. A few thousand hair samples may be screened in a day using this method because it is rapid, simple, and economical. This method, therefore, enables screening of persons with methylmercury poisoning in mercury-polluted areas.
利用来自水俣湾的甲基汞挥发细菌，开发了一种用于甲基汞暴露的简化大规模筛查方法。一些细菌可以将甲基汞转化为汞蒸气。头发中的大部分汞是甲基汞，很容易用盐酸溶液提取。由于甲基汞挥发细菌产生的汞蒸气使银离子乳剂还原，在X射线胶片上形成黑点。通过利用这些特性，开发了一种筛查方法，即向注射氯化甲基汞的大鼠皮毛上涂抹的物质，在X射线胶片上形成清晰的黑点，而注射生理盐水的大鼠皮毛则不会。随后，使用这种大规模筛查方法对50份人类头发样本进行了检测。该方法识别出汞浓度超过20微克/克的高汞含量人群。由于该方法快速、简单且经济，一天内可以筛查几千份头发样本。因此，该方法能够对汞污染地区的甲基汞中毒者进行筛查。
