Childhood urine mercury excretion: dental amalgam and fish consumption as exposure factors.
The authors investigated the effect of amalgam fillings and fish consumption on urine mercury level (UHg), in children aged 4-8 years old inclusive. Using a sample of 60 children, we found that children with amalgam fillings had significantly higher UHg levels than children without amalgams (geometric mean=1.412microg Hg/g versus 0.436 microg Hg/g, respectively, P = 0.0001). Subjects with reported higher fish consumption also had significantly higher UHgs (P = 0.004). Univariate analyses provide evidence of an association between elevated UHg level and young age (P = 0.009), short height (P = 0.024), and low weight (P = 0.049) in children with amalgam chewing surfaces. We also found a negative correlation between urine mercury and age (-0.378), height (-0.418), and weight (-0.391). A multiple logistic regression model shows that the presence of amalgam fillings leads to increased odds of high UHg in children (OR=47.18), even after adjusting for high fish consumption (OR=8.66) and height (OR=11.36).
Levy
Michael
M
Montreal Public Health Department, 1301 Sherbrooke Street East, Montreal, Canada H2L 1M3. mlevy@santepub-mtl.qc.ca
Schwartz
Stephane
S
Dijak
Margareta
M
Weber
Jean-Philippe
JP
Tardif
Robert
R
Rouah
Fabrice
F
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003723:Dental Amalgam / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000652:urine*; D011792:Quebec; D012044:Regression Analysis
D003723:Dental Amalgam; D008628:Mercury