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

Abstract

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.

Assessment of prenatal mercury exposure in a predominately Caribbean immigrant community in Brooklyn, NY

“…21 Of particular concern, elemental mercury may persist indoors and release vapor for years after initial contamination. 20,[22][23][24] The National Regulatory Council report on mercury called for more studies in higher risk populations, and in different regions of the U.S. 25 The study population in Brooklyn, New York has a large number of recent immigrants of Caribbean origin. Fresh and canned fish and shellfish are an important part of their regular diet.…”

Estimating human indoor exposure to elemental mercury from broken compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs)

“…Until the 1990s, mercury was contained in building products, such as an antimicrobial additive in paints (Mielke and Gonzales, 2008). Cases are also found, however, where mercury is deliberately released, for example in the practice of certain cultural or religious rites (Garetano et al., 2006, 2008; Riley et al., 2001). Individual exposure to mercury can be tracked by human biomonitoring (Link et al., 2007; Muhlendahl, 1990; Seifert et al., 2000).…”

Ecological Information Needs for Environmental Justice

“…While information alone is not enough to address a broad range of questions dealing with EJ, it forms the basis for a range of evaluations that include exposure assessment, risk assessment, ( 9‐18 ) risk management, ( 19‐21 ) natural resource damage assessment and reparations, ( 22‐24 ) cultural/religious exposures, eco‐cultural dependency web analysis, ( 25, 26 ) and eco‐cultural attribute analysis. ( 6,8,15,27‐29 ) There is now a substantial literature on environmental justice and equity, ( 30‐36 ) and this article adds to this paradigm.…”

“…Many Native American peoples and other environmental justice communities do not draw a clear line between environmental, cultural, historical, and spiritual aspects of their world: all matters are connected, ( 35,60 ) and it is this interconnection that has often been ignored in data gathering and information provision. Native American ties to the environment are much more complex and intense than is generally understood by risk assessors.…”