Mercury
concentrations in the human brain and kidneys in relation to exposure from
dental amalgam fillings.
Nylander M, Friberg L, Lind B.
Department of Environmental Hygiene, Karolinska Institute, Sweden.
Samples from the central nervous system (occipital lobe cortex, cerebellar
cortex and ganglia semilunare) and kidney cortex were collected from autopsies
and analysed for total mercury content using neutron activation analyses. Results
from 34 individuals showed a statistically significant regression between the
number of tooth surfaces containing amalgam and concentration of mercury in the
occipital lobe cortex (mean 10.9, range 2.4-28.7 ng Hg/g wet weight). The
regression equation y = 7.2 + 0.24x has a 95% confidence interval for the
regression coefficient of 0.11-0.37. In 9 cases with suspected alcohol abuse
mercury levels in the occipital lobe were, in most cases, somewhat lower than
expected based on the regression line. The observations may be explained by an
inhibition of oxidation of mercury vapour. The regression between amalgams and
mercury levels remained after exclusion of these cases. The kidney cortex from
7 amalgam carriers (mean 433, range 48-810 ng Hg/g wet weight) showed on
average a significantly higher mercury level than those of 5 amalgam-free
individuals (mean 49, range 21-105 ng Hg/g wet weight). In 6 cases analysis of
both inorganic and total mercury was carried out. A high proportion (mean 77%
SD 17%) of inorganic mercury was found. It is concluded that the cause of the
association between amalgam load and accumulation of mercury in tissues is the
release of mercury vapour from amalgam fillings.
PMID: 3481133 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Swed Dent J. 1987;11(5):179-87.