Abstract
Occupational exposure to elemental mercury still represents a significant risk in the workplace. The sensitivity of the exposed subjects varies considerably. This study aims to summarize the literature on the role of genetic factors in occupationally exposed cohorts. A systematic search of the literature was carried out on PubMed Central (PMC), MEDLINE, and Google Scholar databases in accordance with the “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses” (PRISMA) guidelines, from 1946 to July 2020. Ten cross-sectional studies were included in the review. All studies referred to the polymorphisms that can favour some neurotoxic effects of the metal in occupational cohorts. Some genetic variants may be associated with an increase in the occupational effects of mercury. Given the limited evidence, genetic screening of all mercury-exposed workers is not recommended. However, a personalized search for polymorphisms could be taken into consideration if exposed workers report early neurotoxic symptoms.
Highlights
Elemental mercury (Hg) is a naturally occurring toxic heavy metal [1]
The aim of this research was to systematically review the studies on the way genetic variants and polymorphisms can influence the neurotoxicity of mercury in occupational cohorts, in order to provide doctors responsible for the health surveillance of workers exposed to Hg with indications regarding the measures to be taken to prevent neurological damage
This data, which would seem obvious on the basis of research on the general population, has so far had little corroboration from studies conducted in the workplace
Summary
Elemental mercury (Hg) is a naturally occurring toxic heavy metal [1]. It constitutes an important occupational risk by causing neurological, neuropsychological, cardiovascular, and other adverse effects in exposed workers [2]. This occupational risk has been well known for many centuries [3], and is still relevant for certain categories, such as dental technicians [4], miners [5,6], and other industrial workers [7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14]. Global mercury production has steadily increased to reach approximately. Disease associated with occupational mercury exposure is increasing globally, mainly as a consequence of small-scale mining activities [18]
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