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We describe a compartmental pharmacokinetic model for methyl mercury and its metabolite mercuric mercury in humans. A tracer dose of 203Hg-labeled methyl mercury was administered iv to seven healthy young adult male volunteers. Blood samples were obtained periodically and urine and feces were collected throughout the 70 days of the study. The blood contained predominantly methyl mercury, while the excreta contained principally inorganic mercury. The behavior of both methyl mercury and inorganic mercury in the body was modeled with the simplest compartmental model which fit the data. This five-compartment model shows that inorganic mercury accumulates in the body and at longer times is the predominant form of mercury present. The biological half-life of methyl mercury in the body is 44 days and 1.6% of the body burden is lost each day by both metabolism and excretion. This rate of loss is 60% greater than that currently accepted (1.0% per day). Thus, the risk associated with dietary methyl mercury may have been overestimated.
J C Smith, and
P V Allen, and
M D Turner, and
B Most, and
H L Fisher, and
L L Hall
December 1976,
International journal of clinical pharmacology and biopharmacy,
J C Smith, and
P V Allen, and
M D Turner, and
B Most, and
H L Fisher, and
L L Hall
November 1951,
The Journal of clinical investigation,
J C Smith, and
P V Allen, and
M D Turner, and
B Most, and
H L Fisher, and
L L Hall
January 1985,
Acta veterinaria Scandinavica,
J C Smith, and
P V Allen, and
M D Turner, and
B Most, and
H L Fisher, and
L L Hall
June 1980,
Journal of pharmacokinetics and biopharmaceutics,
J C Smith, and
P V Allen, and
M D Turner, and
B Most, and
H L Fisher, and
L L Hall
January 1982,
Pharmaceutica acta Helvetiae,
J C Smith, and
P V Allen, and
M D Turner, and
B Most, and
H L Fisher, and
L L Hall
November 1979,
Clinical endocrinology,
J C Smith, and
P V Allen, and
M D Turner, and
B Most, and
H L Fisher, and
L L Hall
December 1982,
Blood,
J C Smith, and
P V Allen, and
M D Turner, and
B Most, and
H L Fisher, and
L L Hall
January 1990,
Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis,
J C Smith, and
P V Allen, and
M D Turner, and
B Most, and
H L Fisher, and
L L Hall
January 1977,
Transfusion,
J C Smith, and
P V Allen, and
M D Turner, and
B Most, and
H L Fisher, and
L L Hall
January 1971,
Journal of applied physiology,
