Biomonitoring of titanium, mercury, platinum, rhodium and palladium in dental health care workers.
BACKGROUND
In dentistry, titanium, mercury, platinum, rhodium and palladium are used to produce dental fillings. Therefore, dental workers who apply such materials may be exposed to these metals.


METHODS
The study concerned 40 healthy subjects-20 controls and 20 dental health care workers-to determine serum and urinary levels of the aforementioned metals by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.


RESULTS
Mean urinary and serum titanium did not reveal statistically significant differences in the two groups. The very low urinary and serum levels of mercury, platinum, rhodium and palladium prevented us from making a statistical evaluation between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
We did not find a significant increase in serum and urinary titanium levels in dental health care workers. Measurement of mercury, platinum, rhodium and palladium in urine and serum was not useful in determining occupational exposure.
Iavicoli
Ivo
I
Institute of Occupational Health, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Largo Francesco Vito, 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.
Carelli
Giovanni
G
Lajolo
Carlo
C
Raffaelli
Luca
L
Marinaccio
Alessandro
A
Giuliani
Michele
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003797:Dental Staff; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D010165:Palladium / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D010984:Platinum / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D012238:Rhodium / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D014025:Titanium / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D028561:Transition Elements / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*
D028561:Transition Elements; D010984:Platinum; D010165:Palladium; D014025:Titanium; D012238:Rhodium; D008628:Mercury