Mercury content of human hair: a survey of dental personnel.
Hair samples from dental and nondental personnel in central Kentucky were collected and analyzed for inorganic mercury. Hair mercury levels in both groups averaged somewhat less than 1.0 micrograms/g, and the maximum concentration observed was 3.0 micrograms/g. There was no significant difference in hair mercury content between the two groups. However, a highly significant negative correlation (r = 0.7110; p less than 0.0001) was found between hair mercury concentration and age of the donor. A possible explanation of this relationship is presented. The analytical procedures employed provided accuracy and precision in recovering mercury from enriched hair samples.
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis*; D003726:Dental Assistants; D003815:Dentists; D006197:Hair / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
D000393:Air Pollutants; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D011506:Proteins; D008628:Mercury