title: Metal concentrations in blood and hair in pregnant females in southern Sweden.
abstract: The study described here was comprised of 100 pregnant females from two prenatal care units at the cities of Hassleholm and Simrishamn in southern Sweden. It included a questionnaire as well as whole blood (total mercury, cadmium, and lead) and hair (total mercury) sampling (collection period 2002-2003). The median values of total mercury (B-Hg 0.70 microg/L; range 0.27-2.1 microg/L), cadmium (0.30 microg/L, 0.05-4.8 microg/L) and lead (11.0 microg/L, 4.2-79 microg/L) in whole blood were low in the total material, as were the hair mercury concentrations (Hair-Hg 0.22 microg/g, 0.04-0.83 microg/g). In a multiple linear regression model, B-Hg was related to the number of fish meals per week and to the number of occlusal amalgam fillings (multiple r = 0.51; p < .001). The levels of mercury, cadmium, and lead in whole blood were lower than suggested biological reference intervals, and did not indicate risks for adverse health effects.
authors.affiliation: Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy and University Hospital, Goteborg, Sweden. lars.gerhardsson@amm.gu.se
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gerhardsson
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lundh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D016014:Linear Models; D008429:Maternal Welfare; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden
chemical_list: D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D008628:Mercury