Determination of mercury in urine of Mexican dentists

Mercury levels in the urine of Mexican dentists were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. A control group with no suspicion of contamination by mercury was also studied. Acid digestion was used for samples treatment and the presence of ²⁰³Hg was determined by gamma spectroscopy. The ranges of mercury concentration found in urine were: for the dentists group from 0.19 to 11.56 mg Hg/l, with a mean value of 3.16 mg Hg/l and standard deviation of 2.74 mg Hg/l, and for the control group from 0.03 to 0.05 mg Hg/l with a mean value of 0.04 mg Hg/l and standard deviation of 0.01 mg Hg/l. The mercury levels found in urine of dentists are associated with several exposure factors which appear to be positively correlated to its concentration, such as years of dental practice, amalgamation techniques, etc.