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

MERCURY 480
5. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE
sites would be helpful in estimating exposure of these populations to mercury compounds. This
information is useful for assessing the need to conduct health studies on these populations.
Exposures of Children. Children are exposed to mercury by a variety of exposure pathways
depending on their age. The most important pathways appear to be via inhalation of metallic mercury
vapors, intake of inorganic mercury associated with dental amalgams in children up to 18 years old, and
ingestion of methylmercury in foods primarily fish and shellfish. These are the same important pathways
of exposure for adults as well. Infants can also be exposed to mercury from mother’s milk. More data are
needed on the levels of mercury exposure in nursing women from inhalation of metallic mercury in
occupational or domestic situations, including religious and ethnic uses (ATSDR 1997; Johnson [in
press]; Wendroff 1990, 1991; Zayas and Ozuah 1996); from use of commercial or hobby arts and crafts
(Grabo 1997; Rastogi and Pritzi 1996); from mercury-containing herbal remedies, cosmetics, and
prescription drugs (Al-Saleh and Al-Doush 1997; Barr et al. 1973; Dyall-Smith and Scurry 1990;
Espinoza 1995, 1996; Lauwerys et al. 1987; Perharic et al. 1994); and from consumption of mercurycontaminated
fish and wildlife, including marine mammals (CRITFC 1994; Egeland et al. 1998;
Oskarsson et al. 1996). Exposure and body burden studies especially related to consumption of
freshwater fish in the U.S. populations are needed to determine exposure levels, particularly in the
children of recreational and subsistence fishers. Individual members of freshwater sport fish species in
the Northeastern United States have been found to have tissue concentrations as high as 8.94 ppm
mercury, while some species have mean tissue concentrations as high as 0.77 ppm (NESCAUM 1998).
Exposure and body burden studies are also needed in Alaskan populations of subsistence hunters that
consume large amounts of marine mammal tissues. Existing data on levels of mercury in breast milk in
Alaskan women (Galster 1976) are dated and may not reflect either current levels of mercury
contamination in fish and wildlife or dietary habits of Inuit or other subsistence fishing/hunting
populations.
A unique exposure pathway that has received little research attention is the exposure to children from
religious and ethnic uses in homes and cars or in remedies containing metallic mercury (ATSDR 1997;
Johnson [in press]; Wendroff 1990, 1991). In some religious practices of Latin American or Caribbean
origin, there are traditional rituals or remedies that involve mercury. These include intentional sprinkling of
liquid elemental mercury on the floor, burning candles made with mercury, using mercury in baths, adding it
to perfume, or wearing small containers of mercury around the neck for good luck. There is an urgent need
to obtain information on the levels of exposure from these practices to determine if children or adults are at
risk. Mercury vapor concentrations may be much higher after use during the winter months when the heat is