Dalvie Mohamed A, Ehrlich Rodney
Occupational and Environmental Health Research Unit, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Health Sciences Faculty, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, 7925, Cape Town, South Africa.
Environ Int. 2006 May;32(4):493-9. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2005.11.003. Epub 2006 Jan 24.
A study was conducted as a result of concern about mercury absorption amongst residents of a peri-urban area in Cape Town, South Africa, in close proximity to waste disposal sites and an industrial area.
The study compared urine mercury concentrations in a random sample of adult residents and children in both the formal and informal housing settlements of the "exposure" area (n = 90) and a control area (n = 90). A short questionnaire elicited demographic, lifestyle and medical details and possible occupational, household and environmental mercury exposures.
The two samples were comparable with respect to background and potential confounding variables. The prevalence of urinary mercury levels>or=the WHO reference range in the exposure area was also higher than that in the control area (13% vs. 0%). The median urinary mercury concentrations in both study areas were below the World Health Organisation (WHO) reference level of 5.0 microg/g creatinine. The median level in the exposure area was slightly, but statistically significantly, higher than in the control area (1.1 vs. 0.25 microg/g creatinine), and the excess persisted after controlling for known possible mercury exposures.
This is to our knowledge the first study of community inorganic mercury absorption in a developing country setting, and where airborne mercury was the exposure of concern. It was concluded that the health risk associated with the urinary mercury levels of residents in the exposure area was very low. However, low level environmental exposure in the area of concern could not be excluded.
由于对南非开普敦一个近郊地区居民汞吸收情况的担忧，该地区靠近垃圾处理场和工业区，因此开展了一项研究。
该研究比较了“暴露”区域（n = 90）和对照区域（n = 90）的正规和非正规住房区成年居民及儿童随机样本中的尿汞浓度。一份简短问卷收集了人口统计学、生活方式和医疗细节以及可能的职业、家庭和环境汞暴露情况。
两个样本在背景和潜在混杂变量方面具有可比性。暴露区域尿汞水平≥世界卫生组织参考范围的患病率也高于对照区域（13% 对 0%）。两个研究区域的尿汞浓度中位数均低于世界卫生组织（WHO）5.0微克/克肌酐的参考水平。暴露区域的中位数水平略高于对照区域，但具有统计学显著性（1.1对0.25微克/克肌酐），在控制已知可能的汞暴露后，这种差异仍然存在。
据我们所知，这是在发展中国家环境下首次对社区无机汞吸收情况进行的研究，且该研究关注的暴露源是空气中的汞。研究得出结论，暴露区域居民尿汞水平相关的健康风险非常低。然而，不能排除在相关区域存在低水平环境暴露的情况。
