| Author/Editor | Kobal, AB | |
| Title | Poklicna izpostavljenost elementarnemu živemu srebru in vsebnost živega srebra v krvi, eritrocitih, plazmi, izdihanemu zraku in urinu ter aktivnost katalaze v eritrocitih | |
| Translated title | Occupational exposure to elemental mercuty and its influence on mercury content in blood, erythrocytes, plasma, exhaled breath, and urine, and catalase activity in erythrocytes | |
| Type | monografija | |
| Place | Ljubljana | |
| Publisher | Medicinska fakulteta | |
| Publication year | 1991 | |
| Volume | str. 198 | |
| Language | slo | |
| Abstract | In the introduction to the present study a review of knowledge on human health effects of mercury, particularly on workers occupationally exposed to elemental mercury vapour, is given. In the methodological part, the exhaled breath sampling technique for analysis of mercury was studied. The main part of the present study was directed toward the assessment of the internal exposure and effects of mercury on the workers examined. The present study included 32 miners from the mercury mine in Idrija and 184 workers from two chlor-akali plants. The air mercury concentration in the mine was 0,22 +- 0,23 mgHg/m3 while mercury concentrations in the chlor-alkali plants in Tuzla and Pančevo were 0,11 +- 0,08 and 0,36 +- 0,08 mgHg/m3 respectively. Immediately after exposure the average concentration of mercury in the blood of mines was 47 +- 34 micro g/1 (N = 32), in the blood of workers in chlor - alkali plants in Tuzla and Pančevo 27 +- 18 micro g/1 (N = 52) and 92 +- 57 micro g/1 (N = 132), respectively. The concentration of mercury was higher after exposure in all subjects examined. Personnel dosimetry was used for 15 workers in the mercury mine at different working places in order to estimate the daily exposure of individual workers. The average mercury concentration in inhaled air was 0,13 +- 0,15 mgHg/m3, and average lung ventilation was 27,3 +- 0,98 l/min. Correlation and regression between mercury levels in blood and inhaled breath were also calculated (r = 0,96; P = 0,000; Y = 350 x + 9,7). On average 1,68 percent (0,6 percent - 3,4 percent) of total mercury absorbed is retained by one litre of blood. At higher levels of total absorbed mercury, relatively lower amounts of mercury were retained in blood (r = -0,72, P = 0,008). Immediately after exposure (miners, N = 18), 30 percent of mercury was found in the packed cell volume (P.C.V) and 70 percent in plasma.(trunc.) | |
| Descriptors | OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES MERCURY POISONING MERCURY AIR POLLUTANTS, OCCUPATIONAL ERYTHROCYTES AIR POLLUTION MINING HEALTH SURVEYS CATALASE SPECTROPHOTOMETRY, ATOMIC ABSORPTION |