Amount Of Mercury Research Articles

Release of mercury from amalgam filling and its relationship with metallothionein and superoxide dismutase.

This study aims at determining the amount of mercury released over time from amalgam after treatment in healthy subjects and to examine the relation of mercury with serum MT-1 and SOD-1 levels. Amalgam filling was applied to the 15 subjects aged 19-22 years and blood samples were collected before treatment and 1 day, 7 days, 21 days and 35 days after treatment. Mercury analysis of serum samples was performed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). In addition, MT-1 and SOD-1 levels in serum samples were measured using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Friedman test and Spearman's correlation analysis was performed to analyse the data. p value was interpreted in significance level of 0.05. As a result of the analysis for MT-1, it was found that the values decreased over time and this decrease was statistically significant after 21 days (p<0.05). In addition, it was found that SOD-1 decreased over time, but this decrease was not statistically significant . In terms of released mercury, there was no statistically significant difference among the values of mercury released over time . According to the results of correlation analysis, no statistically significant relationship was found among the variables. The results of the present study indicated that the amount of mercury released from the tested amalgam were found to be tolerable and no significant relationship was found between MT-1 and SOD-1.

Utilization of Nanochitosan as Adsorbent of Mercury (Hg) in Gold Ore Processing Waste

Mercury pollution in gold ore processing wastewater can cause environmental and health problems. A large amount of mercury pollution causes neurological disease, paralysis, loss of sense of taste, irregular speech, and death. One effective method to reduce mercury amount in the environment is adsorption. Adsorption performance is affected by several factors such as surface area of material, deacetylation degree (DD), and adsorption condition, which is indicated by contact time and mercury concentration. Nanochitosan is used in this research. Effect of deacetylation degree (85%; 87%; 95%), contact time (30;60;90;120 minutes), and variation of mercury concentration (5;10;15;20;25;30 ppm) on adsorption performance was investigated in this research. Nanochitosan in this research is characterized by FTIR, SEM-EDX, BET-BJH, and pH PZC. AAS measures adsorption performance in this research. The result shows that nanochitosan, which has the best adsorption performance, is nanochitosan with a deacetylation degree of 95%, at a contact time of 60 minutes, and mercury concentration is 15 ppm.

Study Details Management of Mercury for Production Facilities

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper OTC 31465, “Management of Mercury Offshore for Onshore Production Facilities,” by Mohamed Sopiee Saaibon, Zainab Kayat, and Fatimah A. Karim, Petronas. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Copyright 2022 Offshore Technology Conference. Reproduced by permission. The objective of the complete paper is to provide an approach to mitigating the adverse effects of mercury found in production fields. It includes an evaluation of treatment-facility requirements and suitable technologies for production fields and facilities. The evaluation covers assessment of pipeline integrity and managing unexpected increases in mercury content to ensure that mercury removal units (MRU) can treat gas within design specifications. Introduction Mercury is present as a contaminant in many oil and gas reservoirs; southeast Asia is a well-known for high concentrations of mercury. The presence of mercury poses a threat to the operator’s integrated upstream value chain. The primary concern is exposure of mercury to downstream aluminum heat exchangers for liquefied natural gas (LNG) production. The production lines and risers, although made of carbon steel, are exposed to integrity threats and, consequently, risk deferment of production. Initial Problem Concerns regarding mercury’s presence in hydrocarbon processing systems arose when substantial liquid mercury was detected at the operator’s downstream onshore LNG plant at levels three times beyond the design of its existing onshore MRU within the plant. Such high mercury concentration in feed gas was not expected because the wells had been operational for only 1 year. Immediate measures taken to handle these high quantities of mercury to protect the plant and its aluminum equipment included the following: - Reduction of feed-gas intake and production slowdown - Closing of wells with high mercury content - Mixing of that gas with low-mercury gas - Preparation for MRU adsorbent changeout No method exists to predict mercury production, and thus mitigation and equipment design—particularly that of an MRU across an integrated oil and gas production system—cannot be based on subsurface production data alone. A holistic approach to determine reservoir mercury concentrations from geology by on onsite sampling and mapping, from the wellhead to the production facility along the pipeline to the plant, was initiated.

Dendric Fractal Characteristics of Pores in Anthracite and Their Influences on Gas Adsorption Characteristics

The characteristics of pores in anthracite from Guhanshan Coal Mine in the Jiaozuo mining area were tested by the mercury injection method. According to the pore size, pores in the coal sample were classified into gas seepage pores and gas adsorption pores which were in line with the stochastic fractal model and the dendric fractal model, respectively. Besides, the fractal characteristics of adsorption pores were analyzed by using a dendric fractal model, and the influence law of the tortuosity fractal dimension D t on the gas adsorption capacity was obtained. The research results show that the amount of mercury injected into each experimental coal sample is directly proportional to its porosity, but has no obvious correlation with specific surface area. Seepage pores with sizes over 65 nm fit the stochastic fractal model, and their fractal dimension D increases with the increase of specific surface area. Adsorption pores with sizes of below 65 nm fit the dendric fractal model, and their tortuosity fractal dimension D t is positively correlated with the specific surface area. Through the gas adsorption experiment on coal samples, it is found that a larger D t corresponds to a stronger gas adsorption capacity. The research results can provide a theoretical basis for elucidating the gas adsorption characteristics of anthracite from a microscopic point of view.

Analysis of toxicological safety of feed by atomic absorption spectroscopy

Currently, one of the main indicators characterizing the safety of feed for productive animals is the content of toxic elements in them. According to the requirements of MDU No. 123-4 / 281-8-87 "Temporary maximum allowable level (MRL) of the content of certain chemical elements and gossypol in feed for farm animals and feed additives", mercury, cadmium, lead are of the highest veterinary, sanitary and toxicological significance, arsenic, selenium. The danger of these substances lies in the ability to accumulate in the body of an animal and cause various pathologies, affecting the urinary, hematopoietic, digestive and nervous systems, generally retard the growth and development of farm animals, reduce resistance, productivity and increase the risk of detecting toxicants in agricultural products of animal origin.The purpose of the study was to assess the safety of plant foods for the content of mercury, arsenic, selenium, lead and cadmium using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The study materials were 76 samples of various plant foods for productive animals: grass meal, linseed cake, oats, vegetable feed. The amount of toxic elements was determined according to GOST R 55447-2013 and GOST 31651-2012 using an MGA-1000 atomic absorption spectrometer with Zeeman correction of non-selective absorption (LUMEX Group of Companies).As a result of the studies, it was found that in all samples of plant-derived feed for productive animals, the amount of toxic elements did not exceed the maximum allowable level. Thus, the amount of mercury in the studied samples averaged 0.55±0.04 mg/kg, cadmium - 0.86±0.04 mg/kg, lead -0.29±0.01 mg/kg, arsenic - 0 .24±0.01 mg/kg, selenium – 0.44±0.02 mg/kg. The established concentrations of toxic elements did not exceed 1.0 mg/kg and were less than 1.5% of the maximum allowable level, which meets the requirements for the toxicological safety of feed for productive animals.

Effect of body size, feeding ecology and maternal transfer on mercury accumulation of vulnerable silky shark Carcharhinus falciformis in the eastern tropical pacific

The silky shark Carcharhinus falciformis is a large pelagic species distributed in the global oceans and was recently listed as “Vulnerable” by the IUCN because of its decline in population due to overfishing. As an apex predator, the silky shark can accumulate elevated quantities of mercury (Hg), posing a potential risk to its remaining population. In this study, total Hg (THg) concentrations were determined in silky shark muscle, liver, dermis, red blood cells (RBC) and plasma sampled from the eastern tropical Pacific, and δ15N values were measured to explore the influence of feeding ecology on Hg accumulation. The highest THg concentrations were in muscle (7.81 ± 6.70 μg g−1 dry weight (dw) or 2.14 ± 1.83 μg g−1 wet weight (ww)) and liver (7.88 ± 10.22 μg g−1 dw or 4.66 ± 6.04 μg g−1 ww) rather than dermis, RBC and plasma. The THg concentrations in all tissue types were significantly correlated with fork length and showed faster accumulation rates after maturity. Maternal THg transfer was observed in silky sharks with embryos having 33.16% and 1.98% in muscle and liver compared with their respective mothers. The potentially harmful THg concentrations in silky shark tissues and embryos may lead to health problems of sharks and consumers. THg concentrations were negatively correlated with δ15N values for all tissues, indicating likely baseline variations in δ15N values that reflect changes in the foraging habitats or regions of silky sharks with size or age. Lastly, strong correlations were observed among THg concentrations of all tissue types, indicating that nonlethal sampling of muscle and dermis tissue can be used effectively to quantify THg concentration of other internal tissues.

Quantitative determination of the content OF FE, NI, CR, CU, ZN, CD, PB, HG in vegetables and fruits growed in Moldova and assessment of the health risk

Abstract: In samples of fresh vegetables and fruits, food products of domestic production, selected in rural markets, in shops, in preschool institutions of four pilot districts of Moldova, was determined the content of the following heavy metals: copper, zinc, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, lead, cadmium and chrome. Based on the results of a survey of the population of four pilot rural districts, a list of studied products (fresh vegetables and fruits, food of plant origin) was determined. The results of the analysis showed that the investigated heavy metals accumulated in all samples of fresh vegetables, legumes and in products of processing plant raw materials, with the exception of residual amounts of mercury, the content of which was below the detection limit of the method. Taking into account the daily diet of a rural dweller, it can be assumed that the consumption of foodstuffs containing residues of copper, cadmium and zinc exceeding the MPC may have a negative impact on health.

The Dark Side of Skin Lightening: A review of a Public Health Issue Affecting Dermatology

Women in Pakistan are obsessed with the concept of glowing whitish complexion to get good marriage proposals, jobs and desired status in society. Most of these fairness creams contain very high amount of mercury and hydroquinone. These act by inhibiting the tyrosinase enzyme responsible for melanin production. The use of skin fairness products that frequently contain toxic ingredients is associated with significant adverse health side effects, resulting in immense challenges for dermatologists. Despite current regulations, lightening agents continue to dominate the cosmetic industry. In this review, our international team of dermatologists tackles the topic of skin lightening as a global public health issue, one of great concern for both women’s health and racial implications. We aim to inspire a global discourse on how modern dermatologists can utilize scientific evidence and cultural competency to serve and protect patients of diverse skin types and backgrounds. In doing so, we hope to promote healthy skin and inclusive concepts of beauty in our patients and society.

Spectrophotometric determination of Zr(IV), Hg(II) and U(VI) in solution with their analytical applications: Structural characterization and molecular docking of the solid complexes

Spectrophotometry was used to determine trace amounts of Zirconium(IV), Mercury(II) and Uranium(VI) in environmental, biological, pharmaceutical and industrial samples. The determination depend on the complexation reactions between albendazole reagent and metal ions [Zr(IV), Hg(II) and U(VI)] at 555 nm, 485 nm and 510 nm, respectively. The experimental conditions were explored to reach the optimum conditions for albendazole-metal ions interaction, including detection of a suitable wavelength, medium (pH), reagent concentration, surfactants effect, reaction time and temperature. Under optimum conditions, the complexes displayed apparent molar absorptivities of 0.8350 × 104, 0.6210 × 104 and 0.7012 × 104 L mol−1 cm−1; Sandell’s sensitivity of 0.01092, 0.03230 and 0.03394 µg cm−2 and with linearity ranges of 1.0–120.0, 3.0–200.0 and 1.0–150.0 µg mL−1 for the developed methods, respectively. Furthermore, Elemental analysis, thermal analysis (TGA, DTG), IR, 1HNMR, spectroscopies, electrical molar conductivity and magnetic moment measurements were used to determine the structures and characteristics of the complexes. A careful examination of the IR spectra revealed that the ligand interacted with all of the metal ions described as a bidentate via the oxygen of the carbonyl of the ester moiety and the nitrogen atom of the heterocyclic CN group. An octahedral geometry for Zr(IV), Hg(II) and U(VI) complexes has been postulated based on magnetic and electronic spectrum data. The band gap values indicated that these complexes were semi-conductors and belong to the same class of extremely effective solar materials. The albendazole ligand and its complexes have been biologically tested against a variety of bacterial and fungal strains, and molecular docking studies have been conducted to evaluate the optimal binding site and its inhibitory action.

Contamination of potentially toxic metals in children's toys marketed in Iran.

Chemical exposure of heavy metals in children is of particular concern. However, using heavy metal-contaminated toys can threaten the life and well-being of children. Therefore, quality control of toys for avoiding children exposure to potentially toxic metals is important. The investigation of potentially toxic metals (arsenic, barium, antimony, cadmium, chromium, mercury, lead, selenium) in toys was performed in present study. A total number of 150 popular cheap priced plastic toy samples were purchased from the eight metropolitan and most visited provinces in Iran and analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometer for arsenic, barium, antimony cadmium, chromium, mercury, lead, and selenium. As resultsshowed As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb, Sb, and Se respectively were in the range of 0-0.9mg/kg, 0.3-5mg/kg, 0-3.1mg/kg, 0.04-4.8mg/kg, 0-0.03mg/kg, 0.22-11.7mg/kg, 0-1.2mg/kg, and 0.03-1.1mg/kg. Cadmium was higher than the European standard in Kurdistan province. The highest amount of mercury was also observed in Tehran. The highest amount of lead, selenium, and antimony was detected in Qom province. The results showed that all the toxic elements in the collected toys were within the permissible limit. Furthermore, market monitoring isneededtocontrol toys safety on a large scale in metropolitan cities like Qom province.

Remediation alternatives for an abandoned gold mine contaminated with mercury in Brazil / Alternativas para descontaminação de mina de ouro abandonada contaminada com mercúrio no Brasil

Heavy metal contamination of soils has generated two major problems, namely, loss of land value and health risk for people near contaminated sites. Studies on soil remediation are typically conducted on a pilot scale under very controlled conditions. This is a misleading approach, once the complexity of the actual biogeochemical soil conditions may causes inefficiency in full scale real-world application. In addition, environmental impacts of remediation practices themselves are often ignored, which may make them unfeasible. In 2002, an occurrence of mercury in an abandoned old gold mine was detected in a rural area of Descoberto, Brazil. In 2014, the State Public Prosecutor required from the responsible State Environment Agency, a remediation project to the area. This study compares alternatives for remediation of the contaminated area. Also a historical approach on mercury amalgamation in gold mining in the region, in order to estimate the amount of mercury remaining in the site. The geochemical characterization of the contaminated area was performed to describe the contamination process. The results were compared with the remediation proposal advocated by the Brazilian Ministry Public, and some alternatives for decontamination of the area were studied. The electrokinetic method has displayed the lowest overall unit cost, between US$ 120.00/t and US$ 260.00/t. The residual Hg concentration after four cycles of the electrokinetic technique was estimated at 1.28 mg (Hg)/kg (soil), slightly higher than the intervention value for agricultural soil, which is 1.20 mg (Hg)/kg (soil).

Simplified Method for the Determination of Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen in Wastewater

The increase in total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) concentrations is correlated with increases in cyanobacterial bloom biomass. Standard methods for the measurement of TKN are tedious, costly, time-consuming and involve the use of hazardous catalysts, such as mercury, high temperatures and significant amounts of toxic acids and bases. Since TKN plays a pivotal role in influencing algal blooms, there is an urgent need to develop simpler, safer and more accurate methods for the determination of TKN. The simplified TKN method (s-TKN™) developed by Hach® offers several advantages over the traditional TKN method, including eliminating the use of mercury, requiring low sample and reagent volumes and being cost-efficient and user-friendly. This communication presents preliminary results comparing the efficacy of s-TKN™ and the standard method, using commonly used primary standards and waste, estuarine and lake water matrices. For all primary standards analyzed, the s-TKN™ method exhibited good accuracy across a wide range of concentrations. The repeatability for the glycine–para-toluene sulfonic acid (Gly-PTSA) standard using the s-TKN™ method was 4.1% at the highest concentrations analyzed, with overall repeatability across concentrations comparable to the standard EPA method. For wastewater, estuarine and lake matrices, a good correlation (r2 = 0.9917) between the two methods and no statistical difference in the values (p &gt; 0.05) were obtained between two methods. Preliminary studies indicate that the s-TKN™ method has the potential to reduce the expenditure associated with the cost of analysis and has the potential to be a safer and cheaper alternative, while providing comparable analytical results to the standard method.

Spectrophotometric determination of micro amount of mercury (II) using an (Azo) derivative in the presence of surfactant

Imidazole azo ligand (DPIDA), one of the azo compounds, was prepared and tested in the sample. In addition to the regular azoth protocol. Because of their ability to form stable complexes with metal ions in some oxidation states, imidazole azo ligands are important heterocyclic azo ligands in coordination chemistry. The complexation of the imidazole azo ligand (DPIDA) was accomplished by adding 4,5-diphenyl imidazole and N1, N1-dimethylbenzene1,4-diamine dihydrochloride. Measurements of 1HNMR, IR, UV-Vis, and molarity Their conductivity demonstrates their octahedral geometry with a bidentate ligand coordinated from an (N3) atom of the imidazole ring and one nitrogen atom of the azo group. The thesis also looked at using this reagent was used to do spectroscopy with the mercury (II) ion in binary water solution, and it was revealed that the reagent is difficult with the ion and has the highest sensitivity. The exact wavelength of absorption is (554) nm (pH = 6). Even though the pH was higher in the concentration range of (0.1 – 6.0 g /mL) with adherence to Beer's law, it was revealed to be a dynamic mercury pair reagent with the stability of more than (24 hours).

SEASONAL ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METALS ALONG THE ESTUARIAN REGION OF DHAMRA, EAST COAST OF INDIA: A SPECIAL APPROACH THROUGH DISTRIBUTION MAPS AND CORRELATION MATRIX

Dhamra estuary region is located at latitude 20046’09.74’’N and longitude 86059’26.90’’E. Heavy metals and metalloids, while happening at higher fixations, become serious toxic substances for every single living life form including human. For example, an extreme amount of Mercury (Hg), Arsenic (As), Lead (Pb), and Cadmium (Cd) components could be harmful to the living cells, and a drawn-out presentation to the body can cause illness of death. This study aimed to determine the concentrations of the heavy metals viz., Mercury (Hg), Vanadium (V), Chromium (Cr), Manganese (Mn), Iron (Fe), Cobalt (Co), Nickel (Ni), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Arsenic (As), Lead (Pb), Molybdenum (Mo), and Cadmium (Cd) and also their distribution in the water collected from the eastern part of Bay of Bengal from four different estuary locations of Dhamra coast, Odisha. Overall, we found that heavy metal dominance in Dhamra estuary region was in order of Zn&gt;Cu&gt;Fe&gt; V&gt;Cr&gt; Ni&gt; Co&gt; As&gt;Mo&gt; Mn&gt;Pb&gt; Hg&gt; Cd. As most of the heavy metals were found in the surface water of Dhamra estuary,It may be due to basically by two factors; the first one is the riverine influence through both Baitarani and Brahmani river. The second one is Dhamra port activities and fishing harbour.

Amazon forests capture high levels of atmospheric mercury pollution from artisanal gold mining

Mercury emissions from artisanal and small-scale gold mining throughout the Global South exceed coal combustion as the largest global source of mercury. We examined mercury deposition and storage in an area of the Peruvian Amazon heavily impacted by artisanal gold mining. Intact forests in the Peruvian Amazon near gold mining receive extremely high inputs of mercury and experience elevated total mercury and methylmercury in the atmosphere, canopy foliage, and soils. Here we show for the first time that an intact forest canopy near artisanal gold mining intercepts large amounts of particulate and gaseous mercury, at a rate proportional with total leaf area. We document substantial mercury accumulation in soils, biomass, and resident songbirds in some of the Amazon’s most protected and biodiverse areas, raising important questions about how mercury pollution may constrain modern and future conservation efforts in these tropical ecosystems.

Unravelling biogeochemical drivers of methylmercury production in an Arctic fen soil and a bog soil

Arctic tundra soils store a globally significant amount of mercury (Hg), which could be transformed to the neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg) upon warming and thus poses serious threats to the Arctic ecosystem. However, our knowledge of the biogeochemical drivers of MeHg production is limited in these soils. Using substrate addition (acetate and sulfate) and selective microbial inhibition approaches, we investigated the geochemical drivers and dominant microbial methylators in 60-day microcosm incubations with two tundra soils: a circumneutral fen soil and an acidic bog soil, collected near Nome, Alaska, United States. Results showed that increasing acetate concentration had negligible influences on MeHg production in both soils. However, inhibition of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) completely stalled MeHg production in the fen soil in the first 15 days, whereas addition of sulfate in the low-sulfate bog soil increased MeHg production by 5-fold, suggesting prominent roles of SRB in Hg(II) methylation. Without the addition of sulfate in the bog soil or when sulfate was depleted in the fen soil (after 15 days), both SRB and methanogens contributed to MeHg production. Analysis of microbial community composition confirmed the presence of several phyla known to harbor microorganisms associated with Hg(II) methylation in the soils. The observations suggest that SRB and methanogens were mainly responsible for Hg(II) methylation in these tundra soils, although their relative contributions depended on the availability of sulfate and possibly syntrophic metabolisms between SRB and methanogens.

Effect of HCl on a sorption of mercury from flue gas evolved during incineration of hospital waste using entrained flow adsorbers

Small incinerators of dangerous wastes, including those from hospitals, are a source of emissions of highly variable compositions and concentrations. Mercury is a very dangerous pollutant causing neurotoxicity in human organism. The effect of HCl concentration on adsorption of mercury on activated carbon-based sorbent was studied for the incineration of hospital waste in a 250 kg/h capacity unit. The maximum concentration of adsorbed mercury on activated carbon was determined as a function of concentration of Hg and HCl in combustion products. Based on the expected chemical reactions and the thermodynamics, the adsorption of mercury from flue gases in oxidising atmosphere has been explained. The activated carbon-based sorbent was also capable of adsorbing acid gases like HCl. The efficiency of removal of mercury from combustion products increased up to 85–87% with the concentration of HCl in flue gases. The addition of calcium hydroxide increased the amount of mercury trapped on the sorbent only by about 10%. These tests proved that an entrained flow adsorber is a suitable unit for the removal of mercury from combustion products. The consumption of activated carbon for the mercury removal was from 0.1 to 0.15 mg/Nm3 of flue gas. The advantage of an entrained flow adsorber lies in its easy continuous operation. Therefore, it is a suitable unit for small and medium size incinerators of municipal and hospital waste.

Determination of 18 Trace Elements in 10 Batches of the Tibetan Medicine Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills by Direct Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry.

Qishiwei Zhenzhu pills (QSW) was first recorded in the Tibetan medicine classic Si Bu Yi Dian and has been used to treat “Baimai” disease, stroke, paralysis, hemiplegia, cerebral hemorrhage, and other diseases till today. This prescription contains more than 70 medicines including myrobalan, pearl, agate, opal, bezoar, coral, musk, gold, silver, and a mineral mixture Zuotai. As a result, QSW contains a large amount of mercury, copper, lead, and other trace elements. The aim of this study was to determine the 18 trace elements (lithium, beryllium, scandium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, cobalt, nickel, copper, arsenic, strontium, argentum, cadmium, cesium, barium, lead, aurum, and mercury) in 10 batches of QSW produced by 5 pharmaceutical companies (Ganlu Tibetan Medicine Co., Ltd. has 6 different batches) by direct inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). ICP-MS is a rapid, sensitive, accurate methodology allowing the determination of 18 elements simultaneously. The results showed that each element had an excellent linear relationship in the corresponding mass concentration range. The results showed that the rank order of the elements in QSW was copper > mercury > lead from high to low, with the mass fraction higher than 6000 μg/kg; the mass fractions of argentum, arsenic, manganese, aurum, strontium, barium, chromium, and nickel were in the range of 33–1034 μg/kg; and the mass fractions of vanadium, cobalt, lithium, beryllium, cadmium, scandium, and cesium were lower than 10 μg/kg. The reproducibility from the same manufacturer (Tibet Ganlu Tibetan Medicine Co., Ltd.) was relatively high; however, the element amounts among 5 manufacturers were different, which could affect the efficacy and toxicity of QSW. All in all, ICP-MS can be used as an effective tool for the analysis of trace elements in QSW and standard quality control needs to be enforced across different manufactures.

Do the total mercury concentrations detected in fish from Czech ponds represent a risk for consumers?

Mercury is one of the important pollutants of the environment. Therefore, it’s necessary to monitor quantity of mercury especially in aquatic ecosystems. The main goal of the presented study was to compare the content of total mercury in tissues of fish coming from the Czech Republic, an important carp exporter, with focus on comparison of mercury content between 3 different ponds, its comparison between different fish species and between different tissues of the same species, and estimation whether the mercury content in tissues meets the limit given in the Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006 or not. Total mercury concentration was measured in 90 fish specimen sampled from three ponds (Velky Kocelovicky, Mysliv and Zehunsky) in autumn 2018. The values of total mercury in fish tissues was measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. The content of total mercury in the tissues decreased as follows: muscle > liver > gonads > scales. The highest average content of total mercury in muscle was 0.1517 ± 0.0176 mg/kg coming from pike caught in Velky Kocelovicky pond. In contrast, the lowest average content of total mercury in muscle 0.0036 ± 0.0003 mg/kg was found in carp tissue coming from the locality of Zehunsky pond. We confirmed that the predatory fish are more exposed to mercury than non-predatory fish. None of the monitored localities exceeded the set regulatory limit. Thus, our study shows that fish coming from these ponds are safe in terms of total mercury content.

Gender differences in blood parameters (ALT, AST) in people with cardiovascular diseases and their relationship to the level of total mercury in the hair

Abstract. Large industrial enterprises are located on the territory of the city of Cherepovets, which are potential sources of mercury entering the environment. The study involved residents of the Vologda Oblast without cardiovascular diseases (men n=82; women n=266) and with cardiovascular diseases (men n=192; women n=309). The average mercury content in the hair of the study participants was 0.572 0.686 mg/kg. In healthy men and men with cardiovascular diseases, the indicators of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase are statistically significantly (on average 1.2-1.5 times) higher than in women. A significant correlation was established between the concentration of ALT, AST from the amount of mercury in the hair of the study participants: in men ALT - RS=0.168, p 0.008 and AST- RS=0.183, p 0.004, respectively; in women ALT: RS=0.121, p 0.007, AST is not statistically significant RS=0.035 p 0.442. The increase in mercury affects the human body with cardiovascular diseases, increasing the enzymatic activity of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase. The causes of gender differences in CVD are: different reproductive function; different prevalence of autonomous regulation of vascular functions and stress; different features of the development and prevalence of coronary atherosclerosis.