Garetano Gary, Stern Alan H, Robson Mark, Gochfeld Michael
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, School of Public Health, 683 Hoes Lane W. Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
Sci Total Environ. 2008 Jul 1;397(1-3):131-9. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2008.02.034. Epub 2008 Apr 11.
Exposure to elemental mercury (Hg0) in residential buildings can occur from accidental spills, broken objects (thermometers, fluorescent fixtures, thermostats), and deliberate introduction, one mode of which involves cultural practices by individuals who believe dispersal of mercury in a residence will bring luck, enhance health or ward off harm.
To determine whether mercury vapor levels in common areas of residential buildings is higher in a community where cultural uses are likely (study areas S1, S2) than in a reference community (C1) where cultural use is unlikely, and whether levels can serve as a signal of significant cultural mercury use.
We monitored Hg0 vapor with a portable spectrophotometer in the three communities. We randomly selected sites in S1 and C1 community, and also include sites in S2 specified by local health officials who suspected cultural mercury use. We evaluated 122 multifamily buildings and 116 outdoor locations.
We found >25 ng/m3 Hg0 in 14% of buildings in study areas compared to only one reference building. In the latter we identified an accidental mercury spill from a bottle that had been brought into the building. Both the mean and maximum indoor mercury vapor levels were greater in the study communities than in the reference community. In all communities, we observed mean indoor Hg0 vapor concentration greater than outdoors, although in two-thirds of buildings, indoor levels did not exceed the area-specific outdoor upper-limit concentration.
After controlling for factors that might influence Hg0 vapor levels, the most plausible explanation for greater Hg0 levels in the study area is a relationship to cultural use of mercury. None of the measured levels exceeded the ATSDR minimum risk level for residences of 200 ng/m3 Hg0 although levels in living quarters might be greater than those in the common areas.
居民建筑中接触元素汞（Hg0）可能源于意外泄漏、物品破损（温度计、荧光灯具、恒温器）以及故意引入，其中一种故意引入方式涉及一些人的文化习俗，这些人认为在住宅中散布汞会带来好运、增进健康或抵御伤害。
确定在可能存在汞文化用途的社区（研究区域S1、S2）中，居民建筑公共区域的汞蒸气水平是否高于不太可能存在汞文化用途的参照社区（C1），以及这些水平是否可作为大量汞文化用途的一个信号。
我们在这三个社区使用便携式分光光度计监测Hg0蒸气。我们在S1和C1社区随机选择地点，还包括当地卫生官员指定的怀疑存在汞文化用途的S2社区的地点。我们评估了122栋多户住宅建筑和116个户外地点。
我们发现研究区域14%的建筑中Hg0含量>25 ng/m3，而参照社区只有一栋建筑出现这种情况。在后者中，我们确定是一个带入建筑的瓶子发生了意外汞泄漏。研究社区的室内汞蒸气平均水平和最高水平均高于参照社区。在所有社区，我们观察到室内Hg0蒸气平均浓度高于室外，不过在三分之二的建筑中，室内水平未超过特定区域的室外上限浓度。
在控制了可能影响Hg0蒸气水平的因素后，研究区域Hg0水平较高的最合理原因是与汞的文化用途有关。尽管居住区内的水平可能高于公共区域，但所测水平均未超过美国毒物与疾病登记署（ATSDR）规定的住宅最低风险水平200 ng/m3 Hg0。
