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Occupational exposure to mercury. What is a safe level?

Article  in  Canadian family physician Médecin de famille canadien · February 1999

Source: PubMed

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Drug exposure during lactation View project

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Benjamin Bar-Oz

Hadassah Medical Center

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Gideon Koren

Ariel University

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https://www.researchgate.net/publication/12428995_Occupational_exposure_to_mercury_What_is_a_safe_level?enrichId=rgreq-5274e98e763aaeccbf7f81d366608ab5-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzEyNDI4OTk1O0FTOjk5MzQ2NzU0MzEwMTUxQDE0MDA2OTc1MjAzNTc%3D&el=1_x_2&_esc=publicationCoverPdfhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/12428995_Occupational_exposure_to_mercury_What_is_a_safe_level?enrichId=rgreq-5274e98e763aaeccbf7f81d366608ab5-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzEyNDI4OTk1O0FTOjk5MzQ2NzU0MzEwMTUxQDE0MDA2OTc1MjAzNTc%3D&el=1_x_3&_esc=publicationCoverPdfhttps://www.researchgate.net/project/Drug-exposure-during-lactation?enrichId=rgreq-5274e98e763aaeccbf7f81d366608ab5-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzEyNDI4OTk1O0FTOjk5MzQ2NzU0MzEwMTUxQDE0MDA2OTc1MjAzNTc%3D&el=1_x_9&_esc=publicationCoverPdfhttps://www.researchgate.net/project/Preemptive-Preventive-Analgesia-empirical?enrichId=rgreq-5274e98e763aaeccbf7f81d366608ab5-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzEyNDI4OTk1O0FTOjk5MzQ2NzU0MzEwMTUxQDE0MDA2OTc1MjAzNTc%3D&el=1_x_9&_esc=publicationCoverPdfhttps://www.researchgate.net/?enrichId=rgreq-5274e98e763aaeccbf7f81d366608ab5-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzEyNDI4OTk1O0FTOjk5MzQ2NzU0MzEwMTUxQDE0MDA2OTc1MjAzNTc%3D&el=1_x_1&_esc=publicationCoverPdfhttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Benjamin-Bar-Oz-2?enrichId=rgreq-5274e98e763aaeccbf7f81d366608ab5-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzEyNDI4OTk1O0FTOjk5MzQ2NzU0MzEwMTUxQDE0MDA2OTc1MjAzNTc%3D&el=1_x_4&_esc=publicationCoverPdfhttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Benjamin-Bar-Oz-2?enrichId=rgreq-5274e98e763aaeccbf7f81d366608ab5-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzEyNDI4OTk1O0FTOjk5MzQ2NzU0MzEwMTUxQDE0MDA2OTc1MjAzNTc%3D&el=1_x_5&_esc=publicationCoverPdfhttps://www.researchgate.net/institution/Hadassah_Medical_Center?enrichId=rgreq-5274e98e763aaeccbf7f81d366608ab5-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzEyNDI4OTk1O0FTOjk5MzQ2NzU0MzEwMTUxQDE0MDA2OTc1MjAzNTc%3D&el=1_x_6&_esc=publicationCoverPdfhttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Benjamin-Bar-Oz-2?enrichId=rgreq-5274e98e763aaeccbf7f81d366608ab5-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzEyNDI4OTk1O0FTOjk5MzQ2NzU0MzEwMTUxQDE0MDA2OTc1MjAzNTc%3D&el=1_x_7&_esc=publicationCoverPdfhttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gideon-Koren?enrichId=rgreq-5274e98e763aaeccbf7f81d366608ab5-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzEyNDI4OTk1O0FTOjk5MzQ2NzU0MzEwMTUxQDE0MDA2OTc1MjAzNTc%3D&el=1_x_4&_esc=publicationCoverPdfhttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gideon-Koren?enrichId=rgreq-5274e98e763aaeccbf7f81d366608ab5-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzEyNDI4OTk1O0FTOjk5MzQ2NzU0MzEwMTUxQDE0MDA2OTc1MjAzNTc%3D&el=1_x_5&_esc=publicationCoverPdfhttps://www.researchgate.net/institution/Ariel-University?enrichId=rgreq-5274e98e763aaeccbf7f81d366608ab5-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzEyNDI4OTk1O0FTOjk5MzQ2NzU0MzEwMTUxQDE0MDA2OTc1MjAzNTc%3D&el=1_x_6&_esc=publicationCoverPdfhttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gideon-Koren?enrichId=rgreq-5274e98e763aaeccbf7f81d366608ab5-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzEyNDI4OTk1O0FTOjk5MzQ2NzU0MzEwMTUxQDE0MDA2OTc1MjAzNTc%3D&el=1_x_7&_esc=publicationCoverPdfhttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Benjamin-Bar-Oz-2?enrichId=rgreq-5274e98e763aaeccbf7f81d366608ab5-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzEyNDI4OTk1O0FTOjk5MzQ2NzU0MzEwMTUxQDE0MDA2OTc1MjAzNTc%3D&el=1_x_10&_esc=publicationCoverPdf

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reported in vila er whoehaea e

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rs... --b zu-~contaminated...fish,.so

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teate Wit.., ..h .ethbyl me."rcuryw e r e r e p o r t e d~~~~~~~~~. f r o t h .........77

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Irugs,

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be

ile on tox-ic..m.erc

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theisk taken Because:'.''-:~~

prepared4by4

Professor~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Team.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~........

VOI,45:JANtJARY*JANUERiggg-c-CanadianFamilyPhysician-LeM.decindefamillecanadien 43

. ...........

o you have a question about the safety of dchemicals, radiation;-ok infections 'm w,omen WI

pregimt or breastfeeding? We invite you to subrnitto Dr Gideon Koren by fax at (416) 813-7562; they Nadclressecl in future Motherisk Updates.

Published Motherisk Updates are availab'the College of Family Physicia'ns of Canada w((WWW. m). Some articles are published in 7he MoiNeuskffer also.

k'Ni

......-1,

- FOR PRESCRIBING INFORMATION SEE PAGE 187

.e..s.........@s.@e....

severa hundre dayd i fis'h, it"accu-....muae `oconcenitratins tosad

rounigwtrDietr inaei h os imPOr-

tatsource of-n-onoccupatoaP (niromntlepsuet.onmruywith ..fish.~.an-d o-th-er seafoo prouctbigthe. m...aisorcesomecr

in-the de.' niomna xosure: ca als ocura home(rompainte.dM 1wtla pansh at.oti

mercrypgmets orfniids,i

er incertain,-`-":-,-prfessions, such aS:.detsty paint prodution,. and --the-

population~-' and:'for thdi-ose expose.xd at:work.- (includin denissnddetastaff) is metallic (inoranic mercur-y.

Maternal'absorptionan

Ma.t..-ernalI:.por.tals...of entry include~

skin. Tedegre of mternalmer -cuyuptake deensontesefiCheia fomo h ecury anthemrteo abortion ofth-e-r co-and.pon y the rueivle.

MercI''u-rY:can, beasorethog

process1tob fmuch- importance,

Mecrcions:(g2-)aemrradi~-ly absobed truhth itrc.

.Organic.mercur isborb~ed toan evngreaeexettainrncsalts. Most, (80% to: 100%) o hs

tract, but m"u'ch i s. subsequentlysec.'rete ntebl. ic oranic'...mercurials are:volatil and lipid solu-ble,their vapour..re dil 'iffus-es

thro.ug .l'ung aleoli.Teki caals absob t'hese copud, partc

ularly th-rough sores or. wounds'.':M.etalic"mercurHOUi o

appreciably absorbed by the GI.tract

btitimoelpdslublIe thathmecui formn diffssmrThere ore, itiiitibtdmrwidely than~~ ~~~~the ioi form andcne

penetrte* into. the brin,atingconcetain 0tmstoeo e-curic copoud.Eceinsma-

ro-ute,fo methlecr(lination..half-lif7:0dys.

Placentaltransfer~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.......

trt e pae talmmrae n*ho m-u--ch teacUmula'te: wtin

Frmetalic mruy pt .2

ofthe mecr.vpu.nhldbmother rats~~~~~~~~~...was..pre.....sent infeaOts

apparetthtwhlplcnaces

Ontheoter hand,methylecuythemoretoxic form,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.pase more.....

Acueihaltio ofhig cn-centationofmtli ercuryvapo-urleadtoseee chmia peumonis

and noncardigei pulmonary-

chitri d--isturbances (ftge,ism

ifuhligfo ofrmntxosr.Imostpeople without roupationa

esaelower.than2hj`2g/dL an"durn evels artowrtalOgLSympomsaresometimes seen wit

Sp/Land .'with oter mercurials

of mer-cury:level in urine.. should

ca e or.de'red-by. Jfamily..-physi-

Prevention, the bes managemeti-straeg in occqOuptonal settings, ~can.

dure,sucas:*aig. apporaevniaini

::--work t:Aeas to-preventoi accu-,

*routinely:sampling: persona and

* monioring erc̀ -ury le-vel 't-hrough'

testn forambient air concentra-tions,which can be :.detecte6d:atlev-

els. as low as 0.0.01 -mg/in3, .an'd* arryn ou.t merCur decnaination procedures in,buildnsbrem~-ttoving carpets;- clening foors--walls, and:.solidssurface s....everal

metaleic ~Mercur sliecnrt-ing Podrachltncopu,~:and a dispesn aget; and applybig.... a pluehne coain to -al

Trsold"lmit vaus(TLV :can

-TA,a short-tr epsre limi

A".TVTA isan 'a'verage ~concen-

:40-ho'ur week to'which workers- canbeepsd wihot adverefecA

TLV-.ST-EL i the' maxim'um. concen-tr-ation acetable duina15mut.period dur-ing a.n:. 8-ho-ur -day.

44 Canadian Family Physician .Le Mtdecin defamille canadien c. VOL 45: JANUARY *JANVIER 1999

.. .. -.-. .. .: .-....

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiii" i -- ... Ili .'

CLINICALCHALLINGE*DQPI CLINIQUEItmsould occur no more than..fur

.. i. ............... .... ..~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.........:timies dailywith. anhour.b*exposurles. A TlVC... i te rnxallowable, airborne concentration atany time during an 8-our work.t peii.

....~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~... .e ...:.od itshould... no.tbe.exceeded..A

d os t.. l... ie a d ... ......~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~, ...!.:'.. .......' i,i,., :i.:.In Cmanada theMnsty t Laour

adoptedthe United:SatsOccuatinaSafetyand Health n's rec..ornmndaions in settn deforcngwoklc stnars Th _diita

National Institute for OccuptinalSafetya.n.d Health and the American*Conference.o. f.Govrmn Industril..Hyginss These oraitons do:not...........diff.;erentiate between preganit and..non-pregnant pe.ople in ter .recoin-mnendatos Recommended TLV-'TW

.... ...

for me.rc.ury vapour and for inorganic.and nonakyine oraic.mercurialsar.....~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~. .............. .shown....in Ta.lUble 1.'.'.InRussia, ThY.C

.....

:..valuesar. mch lower than toe rec-.*o.mmended i...n:Nort A °..mericea:...0.01 rgHg/in3 for mercury vapou.r.(1/n0thof the US recomndations).

..a. n.d 0.OOSrngHg/m3. for alkylO mercury(1/8t of te Urle commendt ion

..... .........

after lu rm e cto.a.urine. concentration of...5.0 pg/L.-(normal value