Environmental and Biological Monitoring of Mercury Following Chronic Occupational Exposure

Abstract

Mercury burden can be caused by intake of contaminated food (e.g. fish), by amalgam fillings and most importantly by occupational exposure, e.g. chlor-alkali plants, production of electrical equipment, production of thermometers. Hg vapor is the most common form of exposure from occupational sources and amalgam fillings. In food, Hg can be found in organic form (e.g. methylmercury). It has been shown that Hg intake from amalgam fillings has been reduced to levels that do not pose a health risk to dental patients (Zander et al., 1990). Furthermore Hg in fish is regulated by threshold limit values that are very rarely surpassed in recent years.