On the influence of zinc on mercury/selenium interaction

Pretreatment with zinc does not change the wholebody retention and elimination of mercury, either when mercury is given alone, or when mercury and selenium are given simultaneously in single doses. Distributional effects are observed, however, as higher retention levels of mercury are seen in kidneys, liver and spleen after pretreatment with zinc. The clearance rate of both elements remains unaffected, indicating that zinc does not truly interact with mercury and selenium. The zinc effect is probably due to a higher initial retention of mercury, especially in the kidneys.