Tetra Tech Sciences, Arlington, Virginia, USA.
J Occup Environ Hyg. 2011 Apr;8(4):187-93. doi: 10.1080/15459624.2011.556984.
This study evaluates biomarkers of mercury exposure among residents of Horlivka, a city in eastern Ukraine located in an area with geologic and industrial sources of environmental mercury, and residents of Artemivsk, a nearby comparison city outside the mercury-enriched area. Samples of urine, blood, hair, and nails were collected from study participants, and a questionnaire was administered to obtain data on age, gender, occupational history, smoking, alcohol consumption, fish consumption, tattoos, dental amalgams, home heating system, education, source of drinking water, and family employment in mines. Median biomarker mercury concentrations in Artemivsk were 0.26 μg/g-Cr (urine), 0.92 μg/L (blood), 0.42 μg/g (hair), 0.11 μg/g (toenails), and 0.09 μg/g (fingernails); median concentrations in Horlivka were 0.15 μg/g-Cr (urine), 1.01 μg/L (blood), 0.14 μg/g (hair), 0.31 μg/g (toenails), and 0.31 μg/g (fingernails). Biomarkers of mercury exposure for study participants from Horlivka and Artemivsk are low in comparison with occupationally exposed workers at a mercury recycling facility in Horlivka and in comparison with exposures known to be associated with clinical effects. Blood and urinary mercury did not suggest a higher mercury exposure among Horlivka residents as compared with Artemivsk; however, three individuals living in the immediate vicinity of the mercury mines had elevated blood and urinary mercury, relative to overall results for either city. For a limited number of residents from Horlivka (N = 7) and Artemivsk (N = 4), environmental samples (vacuum cleaner dust, dust wipes, soil) were collected from their residences. Mercury concentrations in vacuum cleaner dust and soil were good predictors of blood and urinary mercury.
本研究评估了乌克兰东部城市霍利夫卡（位于一个具有地质和工业汞污染源的地区）和附近比较城市阿尔捷米夫斯克（位于汞富集区外）居民的汞暴露生物标志物。从研究参与者中采集了尿液、血液、头发和指甲样本，并进行了问卷调查，以获取年龄、性别、职业史、吸烟、饮酒、鱼类消费、纹身、牙汞合金、家庭供暖系统、教育、饮用水来源和家庭在矿山就业的数据。阿尔捷米夫斯克的中位数生物标志物汞浓度为 0.26μg/g-Cr（尿液）、0.92μg/L（血液）、0.42μg/g（头发）、0.11μg/g（趾甲）和 0.09μg/g（指甲）；霍利夫卡的中位数浓度为 0.15μg/g-Cr（尿液）、1.01μg/L（血液）、0.14μg/g（头发）、0.31μg/g（趾甲）和 0.31μg/g（指甲）。与霍利夫卡汞回收设施的职业暴露工人以及与已知与临床效应相关的暴露相比，来自霍利夫卡和阿尔捷米夫斯克的研究参与者的汞暴露生物标志物较低。与阿尔捷米夫斯克相比，血液和尿液中的汞并未表明霍利夫卡居民的汞暴露更高；然而，有 3 人生活在汞矿的附近，其血液和尿液中的汞含量相对两个城市的总体结果升高。对于来自霍利夫卡（N=7）和阿尔捷米夫斯克（N=4）的有限数量的居民，从他们的住所采集了环境样本（真空吸尘器灰尘、灰尘擦拭物、土壤）。真空吸尘器灰尘和土壤中的汞浓度是血液和尿液中汞的良好预测指标。
