title: Mercury exposure in Ireland: results of the DEMOCOPHES human biomonitoring study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Monitoring of human exposure to mercury is important due to its adverse health effects. This study aimed to determine the extent of mercury exposure among mothers and their children in Ireland, and to identify factors associated with elevated levels. It formed part of the Demonstration of a study to Coordinate and Perform Human Biomonitoring on a European Scale (DEMOCOPHES) pilot biomonitoring study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hair mercury concentrations were determined from a convenience sample of 120 mother/child pairs. Mothers also completed a questionnaire. Rigorous quality assurance within DEMOCOPHES guaranteed the accuracy and international comparability of results.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mercury was detected in 79.2% of the samples from mothers, and 62.5% of children's samples. Arithmetic mean levels in mothers (0.262 µg/g hair) and children (0.149 µg /g hair) did not exceed the US EPA guidance value. Levels were significantly higher for those with higher education, and those who consumed more fish.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study demonstrates the benefit of human biomonitoring for assessing and comparing internal exposure levels, both on a population and an individual basis. It enables the potential harmful impact of mercury to be minimised in those highly exposed, and can therefore significantly contribute to population health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community of Health, Health Service Executive, Kildare, Ireland. elizabeth.cullen1@hse.ie.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cullen
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Health Service Executive, Galway, Ireland. david.evans@hse.ie.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Public Analyst's Laboratory Health Service Executive, Cork, Ireland. fred.davidson@hse.ie.
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.affiliation: Public Analyst's Laboratory, Health Service Executive, Galway, Ireland. padraig.burke@hse.ie.
authors.forename: Padraig
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.affiliation: Project Manager, Health Service Executive, Palmerstown, Dublin 20, Ireland. damien.burns@hse.ie.
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.affiliation: Public Analyst's Laboratory, Health Service Executive, Galway, Ireland. andrew.flanagan@hse.ie.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Flanagan
authors.affiliation: Public Analyst's Laboratory, Health Service Executive, Dublin 2, Ireland. chris.griffin@hse.ie.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.affiliation: Environmental Health Service, Health Service Executive, Leitrim, Ireland. ann.kellegher@hse.ie.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kellegher
authors.affiliation: Public Analyst's Laboratory, Health Service Executive, Galway, Ireland. rory.mannion@hse.ie.
authors.forename: Rory
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mannion
authors.affiliation: Environmental Health Service, Health Service Executive, Galway, Ireland. maurice.mulcahy@hse.ie.
authors.forename: Maurice
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mulcahy
authors.affiliation: Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin 4, Ireland. michael.p.ryan@ucd.ie.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.affiliation: Department of Community of Health, Health Service Executive, Kildare, Ireland. pierre.biot@environnement.belgique.be.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Biot
authors.affiliation: Department of Community of Health, Health Service Executive, Kildare, Ireland. ludwine.casteleyn@med.kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Ludwine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Casteleyn
authors.affiliation: Department of Community of Health, Health Service Executive, Kildare, Ireland. david.evans@hse.ie.
authors.forename: Argelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castaño
authors.affiliation: Department of Community of Health, Health Service Executive, Kildare, Ireland. fred.davidson@hse.ie.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Angerer
authors.affiliation: Department of Community of Health, Health Service Executive, Kildare, Ireland. fred.davidson@hse.ie.
authors.forename: Holger M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.affiliation: Department of Community of Health, Health Service Executive, Kildare, Ireland. david.evans@hse.ie.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esteban
authors.affiliation: Department of Community of Health, Health Service Executive, Kildare, Ireland. fred.davidson@hse.ie.
authors.forename: Birgit K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Schindler
authors.affiliation: Department of Community of Health, Health Service Executive, Kildare, Ireland. david.evans@hse.ie.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.affiliation: Department of Community of Health, Health Service Executive, Kildare, Ireland. marike.kolossa@uba.de.
authors.forename: Marike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kolossa-Gehring
authors.affiliation: Department of Community of Health, Health Service Executive, Kildare, Ireland.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Fiddicke
authors.affiliation: Department of Community of Health, Health Service Executive, Kildare, Ireland. damien.burns@hse.ie.
authors.forename: Greet
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schoeters
authors.affiliation: Department of Community of Health, Health Service Executive, Kildare, Ireland. damien.burns@hse.ie.
authors.forename: Elly Den
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Hond
authors.affiliation: Department of Community of Health, Health Service Executive, Kildare, Ireland. chris.griffin@hse.ie.
authors.forename: Ovnair
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sepai
authors.affiliation: Department of Community of Health, Health Service Executive, Kildare, Ireland. chris.griffin@hse.ie.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Exley
authors.affiliation: Department of Community of Health, Health Service Executive, Kildare, Ireland. ann.kellegher@hse.ie.
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bloemen
authors.affiliation: Department of Community of Health, Health Service Executive, Kildare, Ireland. maurice.mulcahy@hse.ie.
authors.forename: Lisbeth E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Knudsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Community of Health, Health Service Executive, Kildare, Ireland. michael.p.ryan@ucd.ie.
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Joas
authors.affiliation: Department of Community of Health, Health Service Executive, Kildare, Ireland. michael.p.ryan@ucd.ie.
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Joas
authors.affiliation: Department of Community of Health, Health Service Executive, Kildare, Ireland. dominique.aerts@milieu.belgie.be.
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aerts
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D008628:Mercury