The chemical forms of mercury in aged and fresh dental amalgam surfaces.
Mercury-containing dental amalgam is known to be a source of human exposure to mercury. We have explored the use of electron yield Hg L(III) X-ray absorption spectroscopy to characterize the chemical nature of dental amalgam surfaces. We find that the method is practical and that it shows extensive mercury depletion in the surface of the aged amalgam with significant differences between old and fresh amalgam surfaces. Whereas the fresh amalgam gives spectra that are typical of metallic mercury, the aged amalgam is predominantly beta-mercuric sulfide. The toxicological implications of these results are discussed.
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 114 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2, Canada. g.george@usask.ca
Graham N
GN
George
Satya P
SP
Singh
Jay
J
Hoover
Ingrid J
IJ
Pickering
D003723:Dental Amalgam / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008628:Mercury / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D017669:Mercury Compounds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D056928:X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy
D017669:Mercury Compounds; D003723:Dental Amalgam; D008628:Mercury; C034211:cinnabar