[Influence of exposure to mercury, arsenic and antimony on body burden--a biomonitoring study]

Part of the northern Palatinate region in Germany is characterized by elevated levels of mercury, arsenic and antimony in the soil due to the presence of ore sources and former mercury mining activities. Today, the region is characterized by housing and agriculture. In a biomonitoring study, 218 residents (age 1-89 years) were investigated for a putatively increased absorption of these elements from the environment. 76 non-exposed subjects (age 2-84 years) of a region in south lower Saxony (Germany) were chosen as a reference group. Urine and scalp hair samples were obtained as surrogates to determine the internal exposures to mercury, arsenic and antimony. In the northern Palatinate subjects slightly, yet presumably not hazardous, elevated arsenic contents in urine and scalp hair could be correlated to an increased arsenic content in the soil. On the other hand, the results did not show a correlation between the mercury and antimony contents in the soil of the housing area and those in urine and hair. Urinary mercury contents were correlated with the total amalgam area in both study groups. Mercury contents in scalp hair and arsenic contents in urine were correlated with the consumption of seafood. Surprisingly, the geogenically non-exposed reference subjects showed significantly higher internal exposures to arsenic and antimony in urine and scalp hair. However, data of both groups correspond to normal range reference data described by others.