Urine Mercury

Description

What are the symptoms or early signs of mercury toxicity or early signs of overexposure to Mercury in the body? When should one get tested for mercury in Urine?

Early signs of excessive Hg exposure include decreased senses of touch, hearing, vision, and taste, metallic taste in mouth, fatigue or lack of physical endurance, and increased salivation.

Symptoms may progress with moderate or chronic exposure to include: anorexia, numbness and paresthesias, headaches, hypertension, irritability and excitability, and immune suppression/dysregulation.

 According to National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes,

“Paresthesia refers to a burning or prickling sensation that is usually felt in the hands, arms, legs, or feet, but can also occur in other parts of the body. The sensation, which happens without warning, is usually painless and described as tingling or numbness, skin crawling, or itching.

Most people have experienced temporary paresthesia -- a feeling of "pins and needles" -- at some time in their lives when they have sat with legs crossed for too long, or fallen asleep with an arm crooked under their head. It happens when sustained pressure is placed on a nerve. The feeling quickly goes away once the pressure is relieved”

 Advanced disease processes from excessive Hg assimilation include tremors and incoordination, anemia, psychoses, manic behaviors, possibly autoimmune disorders and renal dysfunction or failure.

Note that in Hg exposure of long duration, renal excretion of Hg (and normal metabolites) may become impaired, and the urine level of Hg might be only mildly elevated or not elevated at all due to renal failure.

What are the possible sources of Mercury found in the human body?

Mercury is used in dental amalgams (50% by weight), explosive detonators; some vaccines, pure liquid form in thermometers, barometers, and laboratory equipment; batteries and electrodes, some medications and Ayurvedic herbs, fungicides and pesticides, and in the paper industry. The fungicide/pesticide use of mercury has declined due to environmental concerns, but Hg residues persist in the environment. Emissions from coal-fired power plants and hospital/municipal incinerators are significant sources of mercury pollution.

Methylmercury, the most common, organic form of Hg, occurs by methylation of inorganic Hg in aquatic biota or sediments (both freshwater and ocean sediments). Methylmercury accumulates in aquatic animals and fish and is concentrated up the food chain reaching highest concentrations in large fish and predatory birds. Except for fish, the human intake of dietary mercury is negligible unless the food is contaminated with one of the previously listed forms/sources. Daily ingestion of fish can result in the assimilation of 1 to 10 micrograms of mercury/day.
Which chelating agent is used for measuring Mercury?

Depending upon the extent of cumulative Hg exposure, elevated levels of urine Hg may occur after administration of DMPS, DMSA or D-penicillamine.

Blood and especially red blood cell elemental analyses are useful for assessing recent or ongoing exposure to organic (methyl) Hg.