-
The Relationship Between Amalgam Tooth Fillings and Concentration of Blood Mercury in Elementary School Students in Korea
-
Kyu Hwa Lee, Man Joong Jeon, Yun Chul Hong, Jong Han Leem, Mi Na Ha, Ho Jang Kwon, Joon Sakong
-
Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2011;23(4):420-427. Published online December 31, 2011
-
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2011.23.4.420
-
-
 Abstract
 PDF
- OBJECTIVES
The adverse health effects of mercury in dental amalgam have not yet been clarified. This study was conducted to examine the effects of dental amalgam on the concentration of blood mercury in Korean children.
METHODS
A total of 1,275 students were enrolled in the elementary school in Seoul, Incheon, and Daegu. The number and location of dental amalgam filling of teeth were ascertained by oral examination. Dietary habits-including frequency of seafood intake-and other demographic factors were obtained from the children's parents. The concentration of blood mercury was measured by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer to which a hydride generator was installed.
RESULTS
The geometric mean of blood mercury concentration was 1.91 microg/L. It was found that elementary school students in Seoul and the 4th grade elementary school students have the lowest concentration of blood mercury among the study groups. Both linear and secondary linear increase of the concentration of blood mercury, depending on the number of dental amalgam fillings, were statistically significant (p-trend < 0.01, p-quadratic < 0.01). As a result of multiple regression analysis on the blood mercury concentration of elementary school students, the regression coefficient (beta) of a dental amalgam filling was found to be 0.027 (standard error = 0.014, p = 0.048).
CONCLUSIONS
In children, the dental amalgam fillings were significantly contribute to the concentration of blood mercury. To accurately assess the effect of dental amalgam on the concentration of body mercury, further studies using the concentration of urine mercury are needed.
-
Assessment of Acquired Color Vision Impairment in Inhalant Abusers
-
Myeong Hyo Kim, Yeon Cheol Kim, Kyu Hwa Lee, Man Joong Jeon, Joon Sakong
-
Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2011;23(4):439-449. Published online December 31, 2011
-
DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2011.23.4.439
-
-
Abstract
PDF
- OBJECTIVES
This study was conducted in order to evaluate the effects of inhalants on color vision impairment.
METHODS
The inhalation group consisted of 81 neurotoxic chemical substance abusers at Bugok National Hospital and Institute of Forensic Psychiatry, Ministry of Justice. The control group consisted of 41 employees of Bugok National Hospital. The Lanthony D-15 desaturated hue test was administered to both groups. For the qualitative analysis, we classified the results by the morphological characteristics of color vision impairment. For the quantitative analysis, we calculated the total color distance score (TCDS) and the color confusion index (CCI) and determined that the individual was abnormal if the TCDS was over 65.0 or the CCI was over 1.25.
RESULTS
The TCDS of the inhalation group was 75.58+/-21.07 and the CCI was 1.34+/-0.37 in the right eye, and 75.47+/-23.63 and 1.34+/-0.42, respectively in the left eye. These results are higher than those found for the control group. In regards to the TCDS, 50 (61.8%) of the abusers in the inhalation group had color vision impairment in the right eye and 48 (59.2%) had impairment in the left eye. 11 (26.8%) of the employees in the control group had color vision impairment in the right eye and 13 (31.7%) had impairment in the left eye. In regards to the CCI, 38 (46.9%) of the abusers in the inhalation group had color vision impairment in the right eye and 35 (43.2%) had impairment in the left eye. 4 (9.8%) of the employees in the control group had color vision impairment in the right eye and 7 (17.0%) had impairment in the left eye. The results of multiple logistic regression analysis for acquired color vision impairment showed that the inhalation period (OR=1.20, 95% CI: 1.03~1.40) was the significant variable.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate that the inhalation of neurotoxic substances may impair the color vision, and the period inhaled with neurotoxic substances is significant variable affecting on the acquired color vision impairment.
|
KSOEM
