Elemental mercury and inorganic mercury compounds: human health aspects.

Author: Risher JF.

Source: Concise International Chemical Assessment Document 50

Year: 2003

Comment:

Published under the joint sponsorship of the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Labour Organization, and the World Health Organization, this document explores environmental and human health issues related to mercury exposure, including that from dental amalgam. This report concludes that the “[e]stimated average daily intake and retention” from dental amalgam is "3.8-21 (3-17) ug/day."    This document is the 2003 Executive Summary of WHO's Environmental Health Criteria 118 from 1991, which noted estimates of daily intake from amalgam restorations ranging from "1 to 27 ug/day,” so the statistics were revised for this 2003 document.

Abstract / Excerpt:

“The source document upon which this CICAD is based is the Toxicological profile for mercury (update), published by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry of the US Department of Health and Human Services (ATSDR, 1999). Data identified as of January 1999 were considered in the source document. Data identified as of November 1999 were considered in the preparation of this CICAD. Information on the availability and the peer review of the source document is presented in Appendix 1. Information on the peer review of this CICAD is presented in Appendix 2. This CICAD was considered at a meeting of the Final Review Board, held in Helsinki, Finland, on 26–29 June 2000 and approved as an international assessment by mail ballot of the Final Review Board members on 27 September 2002. Participants at the Final Review Board meeting are presented in Appendix 3. The International Chemical Safety Cards for elemental mercury and six inorganic mercury compounds, produced by the International Programme on Chemical Safety, have also been reproduced in this document.”

Citation:

Risher JF.  Elemental mercury and inorganic mercury compounds: human health aspects. Concise International Chemical Assessment Document 50.  2003.  Published under the joint sponsorship of the United Nations Environment Programme, the International Labour Organization, and the World Health Organization.