Factors contributing to the difference of hair mercury concentrations between the sexes.

Effects of genetic polymorphisms on antioxidant status and concentrations of the metals in the blood of riverside Amazonian communities co-exposed to Hg and Pb

“…As shown in Table 1, the median age of women was 43.0 years, which may be related to a higher mobilization of Pb from skeletal bones to the blood stream due to menopause processes (Vahter et al 2007b). However, for Hg, this mechanism is not well elucidated; moreover, the results obtained here are conflicting with earlier studies that observed higher Hg concentrations in blood of men than of women (Wakisaka et al, 1990;Oskarsson et al, 1990). Thus, more studies are needed to better understand and demonstrate what mechanisms influence the differences between genders and Hg body burden.…”

An Observation on the Mercury Content on Scalp Hair in the Urban Coastal Area of Thiruvallur District, Tamilnadu, India

“…Mercury levels were particularly high in fishermen and in fish from lakes, rivers and coastal water polluted with Hg 4 . Mercury influenced genetically determined factors 10 and affects the molecular structure of binding substances. Nutrition and other heavy metals are also important in Hg toxicity.…”

“…Scalp hair has several characteristics as an ideal tissue for epidemiological study so that it is painlessly removed, even normally discarded and easily corrected. Since trace elements have been measured in hair, these trace elements might be recommended as a practical dosimeter for metallic environmental pollutants 2,9,10,11 . This observation study would provide a useful background for establishing a practical indicator for the determination of the mercury contamination on the coastal area.…”

Teores de chumbo e mercúrio em cabelo de crianças residentes em Cubatão, na região sudeste do Brasil

“…Wakisaka e col. 25 encontraram diferença significativa entre a concentração média capilar de mercúrio em homens adultos (6,40 ± 4,69 mg/g) comparada à de suas esposas (2,86 ± 1,97 mg/g). Oskarsson e col. 13 , pesquisando a concentração de mercúrio em cabelo de 50 pessoas, também verificaram que o teor médio no sexo masculino (3,80 ± 2,60 mg/g) foi significativamente maior do que no sexo feminino (2,40 ±1,80 mg/g).…”