Table 4.
Study | Country, participants | Study design and intervention | Key findings (concentrations μg/L unless otherwise indicated) |
---|---|---|---|
Genuis et al., 2010 [3] | Canada 10 with chronic conditions 10 healthy |
Sweating induced by exercise or sauna, collected directly into bottle | 16 participants had mercury detected in all samples Blood plasma mercury mean 0.61 (range 0.26–1.6) (n = 16) Urine mean 0.65 (range 0.32–1.3) (n = 16) Sweat mean 0.86 (range 0.48–1.5) (n = 20) |
| |||
Robinson and Skelly, 1983 [39] | USA 21 males at university 7 sampled more than once |
Mercury in sweat dripping from forehead or nose, compared with urine | Sweat mean 0.5 (range 0.1–1.4) |
| |||
Sunderman 1978 [40] | USA 1 case with mercury intoxication |
Case report of chelating agents to treat mercury intoxication, followed by a regimen of daily sweat and physiotherapy for a protracted period of several months | Appreciable quantities of mercury were excreted in sweat. With the sweating regimen mercury, levels in sweat decreased to within the normal range |
| |||
Lovejoy et al., 1973 [41] | USA 3 mercury-exposed workers 3 nonexposed workers 1 control |
Participants wore rubber chest waders from 7 : 30 to 9 : 00 am Sweat accumulated in the feet was collected, as well as a 16-hour urine sample |
Exposed workers: 1.5 h sweat: 120–350 ng mercury 16 h urine: 160–190 ng mercury Unexposed workers: 1.5 h sweat: 5–8 ng mercury 16 h urine: 5–7 ng mercury Internal controls: 1.5 h sweat: 43–70 ng mercury 16 h urine: 30–46 ng mercury Mercury concentrations in sweat > urine for exposed workers; similar for controls |