Professional paper
On the control and protection of workers handling organic mercury compounds
K.D. Lundgern
; Karolinska Sjukhuset, Stockholm
Abstract
In animal experiments it has been shown that mercury is excreted in the urine as soon as it has entered the blood stream, and that this excretion is continued as long as mercury can be demonstrated in the animal body. Accordingly, determination of mercury excretion is a fairly good method to demonstrate exposure to mercury compounds. In practical work it is possible to follow the degree of exposure in the amount of mercury excreted in the urine of the workers, and by means of this control to determine if protective measures are satisfactory or if they must be improved. To make such a control possible, a new method for the determination of mercury in the urine is developed. However, the organic mercury compounds are not stable and the excretion of mercury in the urine of workers handling organic compounds may therefore be the result of the inhalation of vapour of metallic mercury. As metallic mercury is much less toxic than organic compounds, it was necessary to develop methods for rapid determination of both metallic mercury and organic mercury compounds in the air. With these methods now available it is possible to control the risks associated with the handling of organic mercury compounds and to institute the necessary protection to eliminate undue risks.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
182738
URI
Publication date:
16.3.1960.
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