Preliminary findings on the effects of occupational exposure to mercury vapor below safety levels on visual and neuropsychological functions.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether there are visual and neuropsychological decrements in workers with low exposure to Hg vapor.


METHODS
Visual fields, contrast sensitivity, color vision, and neuropsychological functions were measured in 10 workers (32.5 +/- 8.5 years) chronically exposed to Hg vapor (4.3 +/- 2.8 years; urinary Hg concentration 22.3 +/- 9.3 microg/g creatinine).


RESULTS
For the worst eyes, we found altered visual field thresholds, lower contrast sensitivity, and color discrimination compared with controls (P <0.05). There were no significant differences between Hg-exposed subjects and controls on neuropsychological tests. Nevertheless, duration of exposure was statistically correlated to verbal memory and depression scores.


CONCLUSIONS
Chronic exposure to Hg vapor at currently accepted safety levels was found to be associated with visual losses but not with neuropsychological dysfunctions in the sample of workers studied.
Barboni
Mirella Telles Salgueiro
MT
Neuroscience and Behavior, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil. mirellabarboni@usp.br
Feitosa-Santana
Cláudia
C
Zachi
Elaine Cristina
EC
Lago
Marcos
M
Teixeira
Rosani Aparecida Antunes
RA
Taub
Anita
A
da Costa
Marcelo Fernandes
MF
Silveira
Luiz Carlos de Lima
LC
Ventura
Dora Fix
DF
D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000652:urine; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003118:Color Perception / Q000187:drug effects; D003119:Color Perception Tests; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000187:drug effects; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008628:Mercury / Q000652:urine; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000187:drug effects; D055815:Young Adult
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D003404:Creatinine; D008628:Mercury