HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Correspondence: Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Correspondence are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Albers, J. W. Articles by Langolf, G. D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Albers, J. W. Articles by Langolf, G. D.

Asymptomatic sensorimotor polyneuropathy in workers exposed to elemental mercury

Departments of Neurology (Dr. Albers), Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Drs. Albers and Cavender and Mr. Levine), and Industrial and Operations Engineering (Dr. Langolf), and the Electroneuromyographic Laboratory, the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. MI.

Neurologic and electrodiagnostic evaluations and urine mercury level determinations were performed on 138 chlor-alkali plant workers, some of whom were chronically exposed to inorganic mercury vapor. Eighteen subjects had a mild polyneuropathy on clinical examination. These subjects had significantly (p < 0.05) elevated urine mercury indexes, reduced sensation on quantitative testing, prolonged distal latencies with reduced sensory evoked response amplitudes, and increased likelihood of abnormal needle electromyography compared with the remaining 120 subjects. Similar results were found for subgroups matched by sex and age. We conclude that elemental mercury exposure is associated with a sensorimotor polyneuropathy of the axonal type; the degree of neurologic impairment appears related to the magnitude of exposure.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Albers. Department of Neurology. B4917, C.F.O.B., University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.

This investigation was supported in part by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Grant No, R010H00707–03. Presented in part at the thirty-fourth annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, Washington, DC. April 1982.

Accepted for publication March 8, 1982.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. W. Albers, D. H. Garabrant, J. L. Mattsson, C. J. Burns, S. S. Cohen, C. Sima, R. P. Garrison, R. J. Richardson, and S. Berent Dose-Effect Analyses of Occupational Chlorpyrifos Exposure and Peripheral Nerve Electrophysiology Toxicol. Sci., May 1, 2007; 97(1): 196 - 204. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Jones, J. Bunnell, and J. Stillman A 30-year follow-up of residual effects on New Zealand School Dental Nurses, from occupational mercury exposure Human and Experimental Toxicology, April 1, 2007; 26(4): 367 - 375. [Abstract] [PDF]

				D. W. Herr, S. M. Chanda, J. E. Graff, S. S. Barone Jr, R. P. Beliles, and D. L. Morgan Evaluation of Sensory Evoked Potentials in Long Evans Rats Gestationally Exposed to Mercury (Hg0) Vapor Toxicol. Sci., November 1, 2004; 82(1): 193 - 206. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J W Albers, D H Garabrant, S J Schweitzer, R P Garrison, R J Richardson, and S Berent The effects of occupational exposure to chlorpyrifos on the peripheral nervous system: a prospective cohort study Occup. Environ. Med., March 1, 2004; 61(3): 201 - 211. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]