Hazard evaluation and technical assistance report HETA 83-422-l1965, Department of Energy, Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. Health evaluation of Y-12 workers formerly exposed to mercury

Technical Report · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:5023736

This report investigates the possibility that a relationship existed between occupational mercury exposure at the Y-12 facility, Department of Energy, Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. and persistent health effects. The cohort of workers studied included those whose work experience lasted at least 4 months at the Y-12 facility between 1953 and 1966. Only two significant differences were noted after the data were analyzed between mercury exposed and comparison groups: decreased proximal strength and sensory median amplitude. In the dose/response analyses, 11 of the almost 60 clinical, quantitative, and electrodiagnostic variables were weakly and significantly related to either integrated or peak urine mercury exposures. Findings were not sufficient to conclude that prior mercury exposure was associated with a chronic sensorimotor peripheral polyneuropathy. Subjects with urine mercury levels above 0.6 milligrams/liter demonstrated slightly poorer performance than the remaining subjects. For the vast majority of subjects there was no evidence of a definite tremor, no adverse reproductive outcome, and no evidence of a dose-response relationship between any cognitive measures and exposure measures.

• Research Organization: National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5023736
• Report Number(s): PB-90-119918/XAB; HETA--83-422-L1965
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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550900 -- Pathology
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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
DISEASES
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
ELEMENTS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE
INSPECTION
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
MERCURY
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NERVOUS SYSTEM DISEASES
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
SAFETY
SURVEYS
TOXIC MATERIALS
TOXICITY
UROGENITAL SYSTEM DISEASES
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
Y-12 PLANT