title: [Poisoning of a family by a mercury-containing ointment].
abstract: Within the framework of a project entitled "Observation by Public Health Offices" we discovered a strikingly high mercury concentration of 30 micrograms in the urine of a 10-year old girl from an Albanian family formerly residing in the Kosovo area in Serbia. We investigated into the cause of this mercury load and found that it was also present in other members of the same family. Symptoms of mercury poisoning were evident to varying degrees in individual family members. Ultimately, we traced the source to a bleaching ointment containing mercury. On analysing the same we found a mercury content of 389 mg per g ointment. The use of this ointment with its extremely high mercury content had also contaminated the living-rooms.
authors.affiliation: Landesgesundheitsamt Baden-Württemberg.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jovanovic
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Maisner
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Horras-Hun
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gabrio
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwenk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003879:Dermatologic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D008628:Mercury / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D017669:Mercury Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000737:chemistry; D008630:Mercury Poisoning / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000737:chemistry; D009824:Ointments
chemical_list: D003879:Dermatologic Agents; D017669:Mercury Compounds; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D009824:Ointments; D008628:Mercury