Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Ziemssenstr. 1, D-80336, Munich, Germany.
Institute of Public Health, Medical Decision Making and Health Technology Assessment, Department of Public Health, Health Services Research and Health Technology Assessment, UMIT (Private University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology), Hall in Tirol, Austria.
Biol Trace Elem Res. 2022 Mar;200(3):961-968. doi: 10.1007/s12011-021-02714-1. Epub 2021 Apr 23.
People in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) areas are frequently exposed to high levels of mercury (Hg). Hg analyses in urine and whole blood are the gold standard of biomonitoring, although this may not provide sufficient information about the source of exposure, e.g., due to the use of Hg for gold extraction or due to nutrition. To evaluate, whether the pharmacokinetic properties of individual Hg species may be useful for exposure assessment, we determined the Hg levels in different blood components from 199 participants. Therefore, whole blood was centrifuged on-site to yield erythrocytes and plasma. Globin was isolated from the erythrocytes by precipitation with ethyl acetate. Albumin was isolated from plasma by gradual precipitation with saturated ammonium sulfate solution. Hg levels in all samples were determined by using a direct Hg analyzer. Median Hg levels for whole blood, erythrocytes, and plasma were 2.7, 3.7, and 1.3 μg/l, respectively. In globin and albumin, median Hg levels were 10.3 and 7.9 μg/kg, respectively. The distribution of Hg was strongly correlated with whole blood Hg levels (p < 0.01) and the time between the last use of Hg and the date of the participation (p < 0.01). The results suggest that the distribution of Hg in blood is substantially affected by the extent and the frequency of the exposure to elemental Hg. Therefore, the analysis of Hg in erythrocytes and plasma may be a valuable tool for Hg exposure assessment in ASGM areas.
在手工和小规模采金（ASGM）地区，人们经常接触到高水平的汞（Hg）。尿液和全血中的 Hg 分析是生物监测的金标准，尽管这可能无法提供有关暴露源的充分信息，例如由于使用 Hg 进行金矿开采或由于营养原因。为了评估个体 Hg 物种的药代动力学特性是否可用于暴露评估，我们从 199 名参与者中确定了不同血液成分中的 Hg 水平。因此，将全血在现场离心以产生红细胞和血浆。用乙酸乙酯沉淀从红细胞中分离球蛋白。用饱和硫酸铵溶液逐步沉淀从血浆中分离白蛋白。使用直接 Hg 分析仪测定所有样品中的 Hg 水平。全血、红细胞和血浆中 Hg 的中位数水平分别为 2.7、3.7 和 1.3μg/l。球蛋白和白蛋白中 Hg 的中位数水平分别为 10.3 和 7.9μg/kg。Hg 的分布与全血 Hg 水平（p<0.01）和最后一次使用 Hg 与参与日期之间的时间（p<0.01）密切相关。结果表明，Hg 在血液中的分布受到元素 Hg 的暴露程度和频率的显著影响。因此，分析红细胞和血浆中的 Hg 可能是评估 ASGM 地区 Hg 暴露的有用工具。
