title: Blood Mercury Level and Its Determinants among Dental Practitioners in Hamadan, Iran.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Exposure to mercury can occur in occupational and environmental settings. During clinical work with dental amalgam, the dental personnel are exposed to both metallic mercury and mercury vapor. The aim of the present study was to investigate blood mercury level (BML) and its determinants among dentists practicing in Hamadan city, Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross sectional study was done on all dental practitioners of Hamadan (n=43). Dentists were asked to complete a questionnaire, and then 5 ml blood samples were obtained from them. After preparation, mercury concentration of each sample was measured by cold vapor atomic absorption device. Pearson correlation test and regression models served for statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean blood concentration of mercury was 6.3 μg/l (SD=1.31 range 4.15-8.93). BML was positively associated with age, years in practice, working hours per day, number of amalgam restorations per day, number of amalgam removal per week, sea food consumption, working years in present office, using amalgam powder, using diamond bur for amalgam removal, dry sterilization of amalgam contaminated instruments, and deficient air ventilation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BML of dentists in Hamadan was higher than standards. Working hours and number of amalgam restorations per day were significantly correlated with blood mercury.
authors: Associate Professor, Department of Restorative Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors: Sh
authors: Sh
authors: Kasraei
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Mortazavi
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Vahedi
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Bakianian Vaziri
authors: Mj
authors: M
authors: Assary