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Mercury (Hg) Turn-around time = 5 to 7 days. Specimen is hair. Mercury is common in our environment. It is released from granite rock, in paints, in electrical switches, in pulp and paper, in cold-water fish, is used in making plastics and in dental fillings. Over 50% of dental filling is mercury and over 90 tons of mercury are used a year for fillings. When oxidized to Hg2+ (chlorine) or converted to methyl mercury by bacteria in the human gut or in the sediment of lakes and rivers, Hg becomes very toxic, especially to the brain. Methyl mercury has a high affinity for lipid compounds, such as the myelin surrounding the neurons. It is also concentrated in the kidney. Mercury intoxication symptoms include irritability, excitability, depression, poor memory, insomnia and fatigue, tremors, poor psychomotor control, sore mouth and gums, kidney and G.I problems, joint pain, weight loss, metallic taste in mouth, and frequent infections. Methodology for hair Hg is by ICP. Reference value established in our laboratory for Hg is: Hair = 0.0 to 2.5 ug/g Selected References: Tietz of Clinical Chemistry, Ed. 3, 1999, W. B. Saunders Company, pp. 992-994. Laboratory Evaluations in Molecular Medicine: Nutrients, Toxins and Cell Regulators, A. Bradley and S. Lord, 2001, IAMM, Norcross, GA, pp 60-61. Dirks, M.J., Davis, D.D., Cheraskin, E., Jackson, J.A. Mercury excretion and intravenous ascorbic acid. Arch of Environ Health, 1994, Vol. 49:No. 1.; pp 49- 52. Back to Minerals Home Page

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