Urinary mercury excretion in the early phase of mercury vapor exposure in rabbits

Abstract

Key words: mercury vapor; urinary excretion of mercury; partition of mercury in blood; rabbits. Rabbits were exposed to mercury vapor at concentrations from 0.03 to 10 mg Hg m-3 for 3 and 8 h. Mercury concentrations in urine, red blood cells and plasma, activities of several enzymes in urine, urinary protein and creatinine concentrations, and catalase activities in red blood cells were determined before and during the exposure. During latent periods for the detection of mercury after the start of exposure in urine, red blood cells or plasma showed an inverse correlation with the level of mercury in the inspired air. When the air mercury level was 1.5 mg Hg m-3 or below, mercury was not detected in plasma, in spite of a clear rise of urinary and erythrocytic mercury levels in the early time period during exposure. However, with air mercury higher than 2 mg Hg m-3, mercury was detected in urine, red blood cells and plasma. Urinary protein, urinary enzyme activities and blood catalase were unaffected during the course of exposure. 239-244 (19721. 25, 315-318 11968).Received

Relation of mercury exposure to elemental mercury levels in the urine and blood.

“…Therefore, it cannot be considered that the mercuric ion in the urine was reduced to elemental mercury by microorganisms. After mercury exposure, elemental mercury persisting in the blood is considered to be excreted directly in the urine via glomerular filtration, as was described by Henderson et al (5) and Ishihara et al (6). In addition the finding of a relationship between the elemental mercury concentration of the blood and urine is supported, even though the results were statistically significantly weak due to insufficient data (as shown in figure 3).…”

“…Recently Satoh (12) established an analytical method to measure elemental mercury in blood and urine samples and found, in animal experiments, that elemental mercury could be detected in the bloodstream following exposure to a heavy mercury vapor (6). However, it remains unclear whether the elemental mercury concentrations in the blood and urine relate significantly to the degree of exposure.…”