Assessment of Mercury in Diagnostic Biomaterials of Different Population Groups in Urban Areas of the Moscow Region

Abstract

The results of a survey of different population groups in urban areas of the Moscow Region (industry workers, residents of areas with increased anthropogenic load of mercury and conditionally pristine areas, cohorts of pregnant women and children) to assess the contents of mercury in samples of various diagnostic biomaterials taken during the course of research are presented. Mercury concentrations in venous and umbilical cord blood, urine, hair, and nails were determined by means of instrumental neutron activation analysis and cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. Peculiarities of selection, transportation, storage, and preparation for analysis of samples of hair, nails, urine and umbilical venous blood are described. The determined concentrations of mercury in the studied diagnostic biomaterials are compared with normal and thresholds values. Although increased mercury concentrations were observed in some cases, no significant exposure of mercury was evident in general in the study towns. A positive correlation between the degree of consumption of seafood during pregnancy and a high content of mercury in the analyzed diagnostic biomaterials was shown.