title: Hair Mercury Levels Detection in Fishermen from Sicily (Italy) by ICP-MS Method after Microwave-Assisted Digestion.
abstract: A number of ninety-six hair samples from Sicilian fishermen were examined for total mercury detection by an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) method. The mercury levels obtained were compared with mercury levels of 96 hair samples from a control group, in order to assess potential exposure to heavy metals of Sicilian fishermen due to fish consumption and closeness to industrial activities. Furthermore, the mercury levels obtained from hair samples were sorted by sampling area in order to verify the possible risks linked to the different locations. The overall mean concentration in the hair of the population of fishermen was 6.45 ± 7.03 μg g(-1), with a highest value in a fisherman of Sciacca (16.48 μg g(-1)). Hair mercury concentration in fishermen group was significantly higher than in control group (p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in hair total mercury concentrations between sampling areas (p > 0.05). The results of this study indicate a greater risk of exposure to mercury in Sicilian fishermen, in comparison to the control population, due to the high consumption of fish and the close relationship with sources of exposure (ports, dumps, etc.).
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A. Mirri", Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giangrosso
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A. Mirri", Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cammilleri
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A. Mirri", Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Macaluso
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A. Mirri", Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vella
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Orali e Biotecnologiche, Università degli Studi di Chieti, 66100 Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicolantonio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: D'Orazio
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A. Mirri", Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Graci
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A. Mirri", Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianluigi Maria
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Lo Dico
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Galvano
authors.affiliation: Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giangrosso
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia "A. Mirri", Via Gino Marinuzzi 3, 90129 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ferrantelli