Determinación de mercurio en personas expuestas en el sector minero

Abstract

Mercury is a chemical element that turns out to be very toxic that when released into the atmosphere becomes methylmercury and affects the health of people who are exposed to it, becoming an environmental pollutant can reach human consumption by various products that are contaminated. The present research work aims to identify methods that are used to determine the concentration of mercury to determine poisonings in exposed people in the mining sector. Based on the research carried out, it was identified that the most used methods to determine mercury concentration are atomic absorption spectroscopy with cold vapor and atomic fluorescence spectrometry, which are carried out with blood and urine samples to determine if the patient has mercury poisoning. Also, the clinical manifestations of mercury poisoning were identified, which begin with difficulty breathing, excessive salivation, bronchitis, fatigue, irritability, chest pain, and personality changes.