title: Total mercury levels in whole blood, hair and fingernails for a population group from Rome and its surroundings.
abstract: Whole blood, hair and fingernails of 80 representative subjects from the Province of Rome were analysed for total mercury. The mean value for whole blood was 0.020 mg/kg, for hair 0.51 mg/kg and for nails 1.08 mg/kg. Correlations were found (except for hair) between mercury levels and the number of fish meals, mercury amalgam dental fillings and residence (urban or rural) of the subjects examined. The levels found in hair appear to be influenced by external and individual pollution factors and thus unsuitable for any direct determination of the distribution in other organs of the human body.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003737:Dental Cavity Preparation; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D009262:Nails / Q000032:analysis*; D012384:Rome; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D008628:Mercury