title: [Reference values of urinary mercury in the Italian population].
abstract: This paper shows the results of a polycentric study performed to assess the reference values of urinary mercury (U-Hg) in Italian population. 374 subjects from four Italian cities (Bari, Brescia, Genova e Siena) have been examined. A questionnaire on life style, dietary habits, occupational or environmental exposure to Hg and clinical history has been administered to every participant and number and surface of dental amalgams have been verified for all subjects. The determination of U-Hg has been performed on urinary extemporary samples by hydride generation atomic absorption method (HG-AAS); urinary creatinine has been determinated to reduce the intraindividual variability. U-Hg reference values were: 0.21-3.20 micrograms/g creat (5 degrees and 95 degrees percentile) and 0.12-6.04 micrograms/g creat (range). Moreover study results have shown that number and surface of dental amalgams, dietary fish intake and body mass index (BMI) influenced significatively U-Hg excretion. U-Hg reference values from this polycentric study resulted comparable to those assessed in other European countries, whereas the mean U-Hg observed in the referent Italian population was lower.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Medicina Pubblica, Sezione di Medicina del Lavoro, Università di Bari.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Soleo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Elia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schiavulli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lasorsa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mangili
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gilberti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ronchi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Balducci
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Minoia
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aprea
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Sciarra
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fenga
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000652:urine*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D008628:Mercury
vernacular_title: Valori di riferimento del mercurio urinario nella popolazione Italiana.