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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Manuel Santiago-Cabrera, MPH¹, Rosa Pérez-Perdomo, MD, MPH, PhD¹, Stephen M. Levin, MD², and Shuying Jiang, MS². (1) Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, Graduate School of Public Health, PO Box 365067, San Juan, PR 00936-5067, 787-767-4146, mansantiago@rcm.upr.edu, (2) Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029-6574

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of sub-clinical effects of mercury exposure among selected active and retired workers whose jobs entailed likely exposure to metallic mercury vapor in the electrical power plants in Puerto Rico.

Methods: Instrument shop workers, laboratory technicians, and operations workers were eligible for the assessment of sub-clinical effects of mercury absorption. A history of prior neurological illness and/or renal disease was obtained. A cutaneous vibration sensitivity assessment, administered by a trained technician utilizing a Vibratron II calibrated instrument, and laboratory testing (blood Hg and urinary β-2-microglobulin) were performed.

Results: Two hundred fifty-four men with a history of employment in jobs tasks entailing likely exposure to mercury vapor underwent evaluation for effects of mercury exposure. The mean vibration sensitivity threshold score among non-diabetic participants was 1.14 vibration units for the 165 exposed subjects and 0.96 vibration units for the 32 controls (p=0.04 by the Wilcoxon Two-Sample Test). Eleven percent of the urine β-2-microglobulin levels exceeded the upper limit of normal (154 µg/L), well above the expected 2.5% expected in the general population. A statistically significant relationship between elevated β-2-microglobulin levels and frank proteinuria was clearly demonstrated.

Conclusions: Evidence of sub-clinical neurological and renal dysfunction was detected among workers with a history of occupational exposure to mercury in power plants. Periodic monitoring for early evidence of renal dysfunction, with assays for urinary β-2-microglobulin and total urine protein levels, is warranted among these workers.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the prevalence of sub-clinical effects of mercury exposure among workers in the electrical power plants in Puerto Rico.
• Describe the health status of workers whose jobs entailed likely exposure to metallic mercury vapor.
• Recognize the importance of periodic monitoring for early evidence of occupational related disease.

Keywords: Occupational Health, Occupational Exposure

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered