Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Original Article

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.

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Original Article

Mercury Concentration in air and in Urine of Workers in Fluorescent Lamp Manufacturing Factories in Korea: Kwang Jong Kim, Chul Whan Cha; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 1990;2(2):179-185. Published online August 31, 1990; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.1990.2.2.179

Abstract PDF: This research was conducted to investigate the correlations between urinary mercury concentration and each independent variable related with urinary mercury levels. the urinary mercury concentrations of 543 workers exposed to metal mercury vapor in a total of 11 fluorescent lamp manufacturing factories and at the same time mercury concentrations in air were measured from June 1989 to December 1989. And annually mercury consumption per workers, mercury consumption per lamp, numbers of breakage lamps, frequency of mercury infusion, numbers of droppers, and numbers of vacuum exhaustion pumps were also investigated. The results were as follows: 1. The geometric mean of airborne mercury concentration in a total of 11 factories was 47.9 microgram/m3 (5.8~352.2 microgram/m3), six factories(54.5%) of them were exceed the threshold limit value(50.0 microgram/m3). 2. The geometric mean of urinary mercury concentration among 543 workers was 84.3 microgram/l (1.13~533.9 microgram/l), the distribution of workers by urinary mercury concentration showed that 26 workers(4.8%) were above the mercury posioning level(300 microgram/l). 3. The correlation coefficient between urinary mercury concentration and monthly numbers of breakage lamps was the highest(0.74) and next was mercury consumption per lamp (0.67), annually mercury consumption per worker(0.63) in order.

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Original Article

An Investigation of Mercury Contamination Soures in Fluorescent Lamp Manufacturing Industries in Korea: Chang Joo Lee, Kwang Jong Kim, Chul whan Cha; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 1990;2(1):58-63. Published online February 28, 1990; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.1990.2.1.58

Abstract PDF: This research was conducted to study the correlations between the airborne mercury concentration and each independent variable to detect the source of mercury contamination in a total or II fluorescent lamp manufacturing factories- The mercury concentraion in air was measured and informations about production management (operation hour, overtime, vacuum exhaustion system, number of droppers, number of vacuum exhaustion pumps, frequency of mercury infusion, mercury consumption per lamp, number of lamps producted, number of inferior lamps producted, number of breakage lamps, local exhaust ventilation system) were collected from January 1988 to March 1989. The results were as follows: 1. Among the airborne mercury concentrations according to the sampling point the highest mean concentration was 0.162mg/m3(0.016-0.635 mg/m3) at the workplace floor, and 0.074 mg/m3 at the vaccum exhaustion pump site, and 0.06 mg/m3 at the breathing zone in order. 2. The correlation between airborne mercury concentration and each Independent variable was significant in a following order; the number of Inferior lamps productedt(0.485), vacuum exhaustion syatem(-0,405), number of breakage lamps (0.344), operation hourl(0.341), number of vacuum exhaustion pumps(0.337) and local exhaust ventilation systern(0.331). 3. The result of stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that the airborne mercury consumption was affected by number of inferior lamps producted, frequency of mercury infusion, overtime, ventilator, mercury consumption amounts per lamp, local exhaust ventilation system in order. And these six variables explained 36.7% of the variance of airborne mercury concentration.

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