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Table 3 Concentrations of total, inorganic and organic mercury in various biological media. Concentrations of total mercury (THg), inorganic mercury (IHg) and organic mercury (OHg) in whole blood, plasma, red blood cells (RBC), urine and hair in 28 individuals, and limits of detection (LOD, i.e. 3 × standard deviation of mean of chemical blank/solubilisation solution; the number of samples was 5–10) of the two chemical runs.

From: Inter-individual variations of human mercury exposure biomarkers: a cross-sectional assessment

  

THg

IHg

OHg

Whole blood (μg/L)

Mean ± SD

2.2 ± 1.4

0.35 ± 0.23

1.8 ± 1.3

 

Median

2.0

0.35

1.6

 

Range

0.34–7.3

0–0.94

0.26–6.9

 

LOD

0.05/0.09

0.03/0.06

 

Plasma (μg/L)

Mean ± SD

0.65 ± 0.30

0.39 ± 0.26

0.26 ± 0.16

 

Median

0.63

0.37

0.22

 

Range

0.07–1.3

0–1.1

0.05–0.70

 

LOD

0.04

0.02/0.05

 

RBC (μg/L)

Mean ± SD

4.1 ± 2.6

0.29 ± 0.18

3.8 ± 2.5

 

Median

4.0

0.26

3.6

 

Range

0.40–14

0–0.70

0.25–13

 

LOD

0.03/0.04

0.05/0.05

 

Urine (μg/L; adjusted to density 1.019)

Mean ± SD

1.4 ± 1.2

1.4 ± 1.2

0.012 ± 0.073

 

Median

1.0

1.0

0.015

 

Range

0.27–6.1

0.18–6.3

0–0.11

 

LOD

0.03/0.05

0.03/0.02

 

Urine (μg/g creatinine)

Mean ± SD

1.9 ± 2.0

1.9 ± 2.1

0.013 ± 0.12

 

Median

1.3

1.2

0.018

 

Range

0.12–10

0.12–11

0–0.23

Hair (mg/kg)

Mean ± SD

0.76 ± 0.40

0.062 ± 0.030

0.69 ± 0.37

 

Median

0.71

0.060

0.66

 

Range

0.08–2.0

0.010–0.12

0.072–1.9

 

LOD

0.01

0.01