Human-biomonitoring and individual soil measurements for children and mothers in an area with recently detected mercury-contaminations and public health concerns: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT

In this study, we assessed intracorporal mercury concentrations in subjects living on partially mercury-contaminated soils in a defined area in Switzerland. We assessed 64 mothers and 107 children who resided in a defined area for at least 3 months. Mercury in biological samples (urine and hair) was measured, a detailed questionnaire was administered for each individual, and individual mercury soil values were obtained. Human biomonitoring results were compared with health-related and reference values. Mothers and children in our study had geometric means (GMs) of 0.22 µg Hg/g creatinine in urine (95th percentile (P95) = 0.85 µg Hg/g) and 0.16 µg Hg/g (P95 = 0.56 µg Hg/g), respectively. In hair, mothers and children had GMs of 0.21 µg Hg/g (P95 = 0.94 µg/g) and 0.18 µg/g (P95 = 0.60 µg/g), respectively. We found no evidence for an association between mercury values in soil and those in human specimens nor for a health threat in residential mothers and children.

KEYWORDS:

• Human biomonitoring
• child health
• mercury
• soil contamination
• Hg

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr. Christian Ambord and Jean-Blaise Seppey of the Office of Public Health Valais for their support. We further would like to thank the Office of Environmental Protection Valais, Cantonal Hospital of Valais, Impacts Sanitaires Group and all the participants who made this study possible. Elke Fischer and Stefan Gröbmair did an excellent job in the precise determination of mercury in urine and hair.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

This study was approved by the cantonal ethics committee of Zurich and Valais. Oral and written informed consent was obtained from all adult participants. For all participants who are minors, oral and written informed consent was obtained from at least one of their parents.

Supplementary data

Supplementary data for this article can be accessed here.

Additional information

Funding

This study was the basis for an expert opinion we provided to the canton of Valais. That opinion was financed by the Department of Health, Social Affairs and Culture of the Canton of Valais. The independence of this study, including the freedom to design, conduct, interpret and publish this study, was contractually guaranteed and is not compromised by any controlling sponsor.