[Mercury contents in hair of dental personnel and evaluation of various agents suppressing mercury vaporization].

The purpose of the present study was to determine the mercury contents in the hair of 44 dentists and 55 hygienists as dental personnel compared with 37 male and 35 female as controls, total 171 persons in Daegu City, to compare disposable capsule with reusable capsule in their ability to suppress mercury vapour leakage during trituration and opening the capsule, and to test 4 agents (water, detergents, developer, fixer) used to suppress mercury vaporization. The results were as follows: 1. The hair mercury contents of the dental personnel (6.69 +/- 4.01 ppm) were significantly higher than those of the controls (3.03 +/- 1.62 ppm) (p less than 0.01). 2. The hair mercury contents of the hygienists (7.01 +/- 4.48 ppm) were slightly higher than those of the dentists (6.22 +/- 3.40 ppm) but not significant difference (p greater than 0.05). But hair mercury contents in the dentists and hygienists of the same period of year of exposure were 5.22 +/- 1.87 ppm, 7.01 +/- 4.48 ppm, respectively, so hair mercury contents of the hygienists were significantly higher than those of the dentists (p less than 0.05). 3. In the controls, hair mercury contents of the male (3.48 +/- 1.56 ppm) were significantly higher than those of the female (2.56 +/- 1.60 ppm) (p less than 0.05). 4. There was no correlationship between the hair mercury contents of hygienists and the period of year of exposure (r = 0.0062, p greater than 0.1) but significant correlationship in dentists (r = 0.5410, p less than 0.002). 5. Disposable capsule exhibited mercury vapour leakage during trituration and opening the capsule, 0.80 microgram, 1.97 microgram, respectively so opening the capsule was increased by 2.5 times. Reusable capsule exhibited mercury vapour leakage during trituration and opening the capsule, 0.94 microgram, 7.26 micrograms, respectively so opening the capsule was increased by 7.8 times. 6. Compared with reusable capsule, disposable capsule suppressed mercury vapour leakage during trituration and opening the capsule 1.2 times, 3.7 times, respectively. 7. Of various agents used to suppress mercury vaporization, 0.56 microgram of mercury in fixer, 0.81 microgram of mercury in developer, 0.94 microgram of mercury in detergent, 1.38 microgram of mercury in mater were released and mercury vaporization was suppressed in fixer compared with air by 12.7 times, with water by 2.5 times.