Assessing Elemental Mercury Vapor Exposure from Cultural and Religious Practices

Riley, Donna; Newby, C. Alison; Leal-Almeraz, Tomas O.; Thomas, Valerie M.

doi:10.2307/3454819

Cited by 22 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 16 publications

(21 reference statements)

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“…Based on our prior investigation and the documented availability of Hg 0 for cultural purposes, we selected two contiguous municipalities in northern New Jersey as our study community (S1) (Garetano et al, 2006;Riley et al, 2001;Stern et al, 2003). During the course of our research, local public health officials in Rockland County, New York, approximately 32 km north of S1, requested our assistance in monitoring Hg 0 vapor in selected buildings.…”

Section: Site Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hg 0 use in the United States (U.S.) is associated with Afro-Caribbean traditions such as Palo Mayumbe, Santeria, and Voodoo as well as with certain cultural uses (e.g., sprinkling mercury in cars, candles or cradles has been reported (Johnson, 1999;Johnson, 2004;Ozuah et al, 2003;Riley et al, 2001Riley et al, , 2006Stern et al, 2003;U.S. EPA, 2002;Wendroff, 1990;Zayas and Ozuah, 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Trained practitioners report ceremonial practices do not involve dispersal of mercury but others may use it in accordance with folk traditions or more casual practices that involve dispersal of mercury within a residence (Lythcott, 2003;Riley et al, 2006;Riley et al, 2001;Stern et al, 2003;U.S. EPA, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To date, the extent of cultural mercury use has been indirectly assessed by interview and assessment of the availability of mercury in botanicas (Johnson, 1999(Johnson, , 2004Ozuah et al, 2003;Riley et al, 2001;Stern et al, 2003;U.S. EPA, 2002;Wendroff, 1990;Zayas and Ozuah, 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We chose to monitor mercury vapor within interior hallways of residential buildings rather than in individual apartments, because of the difficulty in gaining access due to the consistent reports of distrust of outsiders in communities that may use Hg 0 culturally (Lythcott, 2003;Riley et al, 2001;U.S. EPA, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Mercury vapor in residential building common areas in communities where mercury is used for cultural purposes versus a reference community

Garetano¹,

Stern

Robson

et al. 2008

Science of The Total Environment

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Background-Exposure to elemental mercury (Hg 0 ) in residential buildings can occur from accidental spills, broken objects (thermometers, fluorescent fixtures, thermostats), and deliberate introduction, one mode of which involves cultural practices by individuals who believe dispersal of mercury in a residence will bring luck, enhance health or ward off harm.Objectives-To determine whether mercury vapor levels in common areas of residential buildings is higher in a community where cultural uses are likely (study areas S1, S2) than in a reference community (C1) where cultural use is unlikely, and whether levels can serve as a signal of significant cultural mercury use.Methods-We monitored Hg 0 vapor with a portable spectrophotometer in the three communities. We randomly selected sites in S1 and C1 community, and also include sites in S2 specified by local health officials who suspected cultural mercury use. We evaluated 122 multifamily buildings and 116 outdoor locations.Findings-We found >25 ng/m 3 Hg 0 in 14% of buildings in study areas compared to only one reference building. In the latter we identified an accidental mercury spill from a bottle that had HHS Public Access Author Manuscript Author ManuscriptAuthor ManuscriptAuthor Manuscript been brought into the building. Both the mean and maximum indoor mercury vapor levels were greater in the study communities than in the reference community. In all communities, we observed mean indoor Hg 0 vapor concentration greater than outdoors, although in two-thirds of buildings, indoor levels did not exceed the area-specific outdoor upper-limit concentration.Conclusion-After controlling for factors that might influence Hg 0 vapor levels, the most plausible explanation for greater Hg 0 levels in the study area is a relationship to cultural use of mercury. None of the measured levels exceeded the ATSDR minimum risk level for residences of 200 ng/m 3 Hg 0 although levels in living quarters might be greater than those in the common areas.

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Section: Site Selectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Mercury vapor in residential building common areas in communities where mercury is used for cultural purposes versus a reference community

Garetano¹,

Stern

Robson

et al. 2008

Science of The Total Environment

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Mercury Policy and Science in Northeastern North America: The Mercury Action Plan of the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers

Smith¹,

Trip²

2005

Ecotoxicology

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In June 1998 the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers (NEG-ECP) adopted a comprehensive regional Mercury Action Plan (MAP) with aggressive emission reduction and pollution prevention goals for the New England States, the Atlantic Provinces and Quebec. New Jersey and New York have also been active participants. The NEG-ECP MAP was motivated by, and based on, extensive data demonstrating the widespread and serious nature of mercury impacts in the region and the existence of many preventable sources of mercury pollution. The plan established a long-term goal of virtually eliminating anthropogenic mercury releases in the region with interim goals of a 50% reduction by 2003 and 75% by 2010. Policy and regulatory initiatives implemented under the NEG-ECP MAP have exceeded federal efforts addressing mercury and have resulted in substantial regional progress in reducing mercury pollution. Recent data indicates that the region has reduced mercury emissions by approximately 55% since the NEGECP MAP was adopted. The NEG-ECP MAP provides an important demonstration of what can be technologically, economically and politically accomplished and has influenced mercury reduction programs at the global scale. Scientific information played important roles in developing and implementing this plan. Key research areas where regional policy makers would benefit from additional information include improved: environmental indicators for tracking progress; mercury release inventories, especially on mercury product breakage and mobile sources; deposition sources, including in-region and out-of-region contributors; elemental mercury exposure and impact data; determinants of mercury levels in fish; ecological impacts of mercury; and data on the effectiveness of outreach efforts.

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Preconception Brief: Occupational/Environmental Exposures

McDiarmid

Gehle

2006

Matern Child Health J

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In the last decade, more than half of U.S. children were born to working mothers and 65% of working men and women were of reproductive age. In 2004 more than 28 million women age 18-44 were employed full time. This implies the need for clinicians to possess an awareness about the impact of work on the health of their patients and their future offspring. Most chemicals in the workplace have not been evaluated for reproductive toxicity, and where exposure limits do exist, they were generally not designed to mitigate reproductive risk. Therefore, many toxicants with unambiguous reproductive and developmental effects are still in regular commercial or therapeutic use and thus present exposure potential to workers. Examples of these include heavy metals, (lead, cadmium), organic solvents (glycol ethers, percholoroethylene), pesticides and herbicides (ethylene dibromide) and sterilants, anesthetic gases and anti-cancer drugs used in healthcare. Surprisingly, many of these reproductive toxicants are well represented in traditional employment sectors of women, such as healthcare and cosmetology. Environmental exposures also figure prominently in evaluating a woman's health risk and that to a pregnancy. Food and water quality and pesticide and solvent usage are increasingly topics raised by women and men contemplating pregnancy. The microenvironment of a woman, such as her choices of hobbies and leisure time activities also come into play. Caregivers must be aware of their patients' potential environmental and workplace exposures and weigh any risk of exposure in the context of the time-dependent window of reproductive susceptibility. This will allow informed decision-making about the need for changes in behavior, diet, hobbies or the

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Assessing Elemental Mercury Vapor Exposure from Cultural and Religious Practices

Cited by 22 publications

References 16 publications

Mercury vapor in residential building common areas in communities where mercury is used for cultural purposes versus a reference community

Mercury vapor in residential building common areas in communities where mercury is used for cultural purposes versus a reference community

Mercury Policy and Science in Northeastern North America: The Mercury Action Plan of the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers

Preconception Brief: Occupational/Environmental Exposures

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