Biomaterial Database

Automated method for determination of mercury in urine. 1976

R A Richardson

I describe a sensitive, specific, automated method for determination of mercury in urine by the "flameless atomic absorption" technique. One can analyze 20 samples per hour, with less than 0.5-ml samples of urine. The detection limit is 0.01 mumol/liter (2mug/liter) and the mean coefficient of variation 12%. The procedure is being used to monitor mercury excretion by workers exposed to mercury.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008628	Mercury	A silver metallic element that exists as a liquid at room temperature. It has the atomic symbol Hg (from hydrargyrum, liquid silver), atomic number 80, and atomic weight 200.59. Mercury is used in many industrial applications and its salts have been employed therapeutically as purgatives, antisyphilitics, disinfectants, and astringents. It can be absorbed through the skin and mucous membranes which leads to MERCURY POISONING. Because of its toxicity, the clinical use of mercury and mercurials is diminishing.
D008630	Mercury Poisoning	Poisoning that results from chronic or acute ingestion, injection, inhalation, or skin absorption of MERCURY or MERCURY COMPOUNDS.	Poisoning, Mercury,Mercury Poisonings,Poisonings, Mercury
D008832	Microchemistry	The development and use of techniques and equipment to study or perform chemical reactions, with small quantities of materials, frequently less than a milligram or a milliliter.
D009787	Occupational Medicine	Medical specialty concerned with the promotion and maintenance of the physical and mental health of employees in occupational settings.	Industrial Medicine,Medicine, Industrial,Medicine, Occupational
D002498	Centrifugation	Process of using a rotating machine to generate centrifugal force to separate substances of different densities, remove moisture, or simulate gravitational effects. It employs a large motor-driven apparatus with a long arm, at the end of which human and animal subjects, biological specimens, or equipment can be revolved and rotated at various speeds to study gravitational effects. (From Websters, 10th ed; McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001322	Autoanalysis	Method of analyzing chemicals using automation.	Autoanalyses