revised final - Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry ...

MERCURY 476
5.8 ADEQUACY OF THE DATABASE
5. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE
Section 104(i)(5) of CERCLA, as amended, directs the Administrator of ATSDR (in consultation with the
Administrator of EPA and agencies and programs of the Public Health Service) to assess whether adequate
information on the health effects of mercury is available. Where adequate information is not available,
ATSDR, in conjunction with the NTP, is required to assure the initiation of a program of research designed
to determine the health effects (and techniques for developing methods to determine such health effects) of
mercury.
The following categories of possible data needs have been identified by a joint team of scientists from
ATSDR, NTP, and EPA. They are defined as substance-specific informational needs that if met would
reduce the uncertainties of human health assessment. This definition should not be interpreted to mean that
all data needs discussed in this section must be filled. In the future, the identified data needs will be
evaluated and prioritized, and a substance-specific research agenda will be proposed.
5.8.1 Identification of Data Needs
Physical and Chemical Properties. The physical and chemical properties of metallic mercury and
its inorganic and organic compounds have been well characterized to permit estimation of their
environmental fate (Lewis 1993; Merck 1989; NFPA 1994; Osol 1980; Spencer and Voigt 1968;
Verschueren 1983; Weast 1988; Weiss 1986). Most values are available for the log Kow, log Koc, Henry's
law constant, vapor pressure, and solubility in water. Experimental data exist that allow characterization of
the environmental fate of metallic mercury and inorganic and organic mercury compounds in a variety of
environmental media.
Production, Import/Export, Use, Release, and Disposal. Information on mercury production,
import/export, and use are well documented (Blayney et al. 1997; Drake 1981; EPA 1997a; Hefflin et al.
1993; IARC 1993; Jasinski 1993; Reese 1990; Reiber and Harris 1994; Toribara et al. 1997; USGS 1997).
Information on disposal methods and recycling of mercury and mercury containing wastes are available
(Carrico 1985; DOI 1989; Jasinski 1993; TRI96 1998).