Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Clearance of mercury (Hg-197, Hg-203) vapor inhaled by human subjects

Journal Article · · Arch. Environ. Health; (United States)
Five human subjects inhaled a mixture of stable and radioactive mercury vapor for periods of 14 to 24 minutes. The subjects retained an average of 74 percent of that inhaled. Evidence is submitted to show that the retention occurred almost entirely in the alveoli. For 3 days after exposure, the exhaled breath was passed at intervals through activated charcoal traps for sampling periods of 10 to 35 minutes. The data indicated that an average of 7 percent of the retained mercury was lost in the expired breath, with a half time of 18 hours. Examination of the subjects in a whole body counter yielded average half times for mercury clearance from different parts of the body as follows: lung, 1.7 days; head, 21 days; kidney region, 64 days; chest, 43 days; and whole body, 58 days.
Research Organization:
Univ. of Rochester, NY
OSTI ID:
7256391
Journal Information:
Arch. Environ. Health; (United States), Journal Name: Arch. Environ. Health; (United States) Vol. 31:6; ISSN AEHLA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English