Azziz-Baumgartner Eduardo, Luber G, Schurz-Rogers H, Backer L, Belson M, Kieszak S, Caldwell K, Lee B, Jones R, Todd R, Rubin C
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health, Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, Health Studies Branch, Atlanta, Georgia 30341-3717, USA.
Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2007 May;45(4):391-5. doi: 10.1080/15563650601031569.
Although mercury is toxic, few studies have measured exposure in children who handled elemental mercury briefly. In 2004, a student spilled approximately 60 milliliters of mercury at a Nevada school. Within 12 hours, all students were removed from the source of exposure. We conducted an exposure assessment at the school.
We administered questionnaires and obtained urine samples from students. Using two-sample t-tests, we compared urine mercury levels from students who self-reported exposure to mercury levels of other students.
Two-hundred students participated, including 55/62 (89%) who were decontaminated. The students' geometric mean urine mercury level was 0.36 microg/L (95% confidence interval 0.32-0.40 microg/L). The student who brought the mercury to school was the only one to have an elevated urine mercury level (11.4 microg/L).
Despite environmental contamination, mercury exposure may have been minimized because of rapid identification of the elemental mercury spill and decontamination.
尽管汞具有毒性，但很少有研究测量过短暂接触单质汞的儿童的暴露情况。2004年，内华达州一所学校的一名学生洒出了约60毫升汞。在12小时内，所有学生都被撤离了暴露源。我们在该校进行了一次暴露评估。
我们向学生发放问卷并采集尿液样本。使用双样本t检验，我们将自我报告接触汞的学生的尿汞水平与其他学生的尿汞水平进行了比较。
200名学生参与，其中55/62（89%）名学生进行了去污处理。学生尿汞几何平均水平为0.36微克/升（95%置信区间0.32 - 0.40微克/升）。将汞带到学校的那名学生是唯一尿汞水平升高的（11.4微克/升）。
尽管存在环境污染，但由于单质汞泄漏得到快速识别和去污处理，汞暴露可能已降至最低。
