title: Urinary mercury excretion in chloralkali workers after the cessation of exposure.
abstract: Seventeen former chloralkali workers were followed through the regular determination of urinary mercury for nearly two years after the cessation of exposure to mercury vapor in a study of the time course of urinary mercury elimination. Their duration of exposure ranged from 3 d to 35.5 years. A one-compartment model for urinary mercury elimination was applied. The urinary mercury concentration declined at a rate indicating a half-time of 91 d. When corrected for an individual base-line level of urinary mercury resulting from sources of mercury intake not related to work, the half-time was 72.4 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 63.2-81.7] d, with a mean elimination rate constant of 0.011 (95% CI 0.008-0.013).d-1. The day-to-day variability of the urinary mercury concentration averaged 22%, expressed as the coefficient of variation between urine samples delivered on three consecutive days.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Medicine, Telemark Central Hospital, Porsgrunn, Norway.
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Ellingsen
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Thomassen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Langård
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kjuus
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D000468:Alkalies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008630:Mercury Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000652:urine; D008657:Metabolic Clearance Rate / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000652:urine; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D000468:Alkalies; D008628:Mercury