Langworth S, Elinder C G, Göthe C J, Vesterberg O
Department of Occupational Medicine, Huddinge Hospital, Sweden.
Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 1991;63(3):161-7. doi: 10.1007/BF00381563.
Biological monitoring was used to assess mercury exposure from occupational and environmental sources in a group of chloralkali workers (n = 89) and in a control group (n = 75). In the control group, the median value for blood mercury (B-Hg) was 15 nmol/l, that for serum mercury (S-Hg) was 4 nmol/l and that for urinary mercury (U-Hg) was 1.1 nmol/mmol creatinine. Corresponding levels in the chloralkali group were 55 nmol/l, 45 nmol/l and 14.3 nmol/mmol creatinine, respectively. In the control group, there were statistically significant relationships between fish consumption and both B-Hg and S-Hg values (P less than 0.001), whereas U-Hg correlated best with the individual amalgam burden (P less than 0.01). In the chloralkali group, the mercury levels in blood and urine were significantly related to the type of work (P less than 0.001) but not to the length of employment, to fish consumption or to the quantity of dental amalgam fillings. In both groups there were poor correlations between smoking or alcohol intake and the mercury levels in blood and urine. The results strongly suggest that fish is an important source of methylmercury exposure and that amalgam fillings are probably the most important source of inorganic mercury exposure among occupationally unexposed individuals. In the chloralkali group, mercury exposure from fish and amalgam was overshadowed by occupational exposure to inorganic mercury.
采用生物监测方法评估了一组氯碱工人（n = 89）和一个对照组（n = 75）职业及环境汞暴露情况。对照组中，血汞（B-Hg）中位数为15 nmol/l，血清汞（S-Hg）中位数为4 nmol/l，尿汞（U-Hg）中位数为1.1 nmol/mmol肌酐。氯碱组相应水平分别为55 nmol/l、45 nmol/l和14.3 nmol/mmol肌酐。对照组中，鱼类消费量与B-Hg和S-Hg值均存在统计学显著相关性（P < 0.001），而U-Hg与个体汞合金填充量相关性最佳（P < 0.01）。氯碱组中，血液和尿液中的汞水平与工作类型显著相关（P < 0.001），但与工作时长、鱼类消费量或牙科汞合金填充物数量无关。两组中，吸烟或饮酒与血液和尿液中的汞水平相关性均较差。结果强烈表明，鱼类是甲基汞暴露的重要来源，汞合金填充物可能是职业未暴露个体无机汞暴露的最重要来源。在氯碱组中，鱼类和汞合金造成的汞暴露与职业性无机汞暴露相比相形见绌。
