Problems of Forensic Sciences 2018 Vol. 116 (CXVI) 385-397
DETERMINATION OF TRACE AMOUNTS OF MERCURY BY TDA AAS IN URINE OF PERSONS SUSPECTED TO BE EXPOSED TO MERCURY FROM AMALGAM FILLINGS
Jadwiga POLICHT-GĄSSOWSKA, Teresa LECH, Wojciech LECHOWICZ, Piotr ADAMOWICZ, Dominik BAKALARZ, Joanna GIEROŃ, Dominika GIL, Anna MIKOŁAJCZYK, Bogdan TOKARCZYK
Institute of Forensic Research, Kraków, Poland
Streszczenie
The correct interpretation of analysis results in assessments of exposure to toxic metals requires knowledge about their levels in biological material in different human populations. In the case of mercury, some additional information is required, e.g. on whether tested persons consume a diet rich in fish or have amalgam fillings. The thermal decomposition, amalgamation, and atomic absorption spectrometry method (TDA AAS) is one of the latest methods used to determine trace amounts of mercury in different biological materials. The aim of the study was to evaluate mercury levels in the urine of adult people in two groups: a control group – people not occupationally exposed to mercury vapour and without amalgam fillings (n = 15) and a studied group – people suspected of being exposed to mercury vapours from amalgam fillings in the oral cavity (n = 10), by means of TDA AAS. Urinary mercury concentrations in both examined groups were in the range from 0.14 to 1.30 µg/l (mean: 0.24 and 0.63 µg/l respectively, median: 0.18 and 0.70 µg/l respectively) and the differences between groups were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The mercury levels in urine in all the examined samples were within the range of reference values for people not exposed to the action of mercury compounds.
Słowa kluczowe
Mercury; Urine; TDA AAS; Amalgam filling.