Blood and Urine Inorganic and Organic Mercury Levels in the United States from 1999 to 2016.

INTRODUCTION: Mercury is an environmental hazard. Organic mercury is biologically more toxic than inorganic mercury. Therefore, we studied recent trends in the blood level of organic and inorganic mercury in the United States.

METHODS: 56445 participants that had blood mercury and urine mercury measurements in NHANES 1999-2016 were included. The organic mercury level was obtained by subtracting the inorganic mercury level from the total mercury level. Results were analyzed using SPSS complex sample module version 25. Pregnant women, children aged <20 and different ethnicities were analyzed as subgroups.

RESULTS: Blood organic mercury level increased from (geometric mean [95% confidence interval]) 0.08 [0.07-0.10] to 0.17 [0.16-0.18] µg/L during 1999-2016. It increased significantly (p<0.001) from 0.03 [0.02-0.03] to 0.07 [0.06-0.07] µg/L in children aged <20 and from 0.14 [0.09-0.21] to 0.36 [0.16-0.83] µg/L in pregnant women in this period (p<0.001). In 2013-2016, non-Hispanic Asians had the highest blood organic mercury level among different ethnicities, 0.93 [0.82-1.05] µg/L (p<0.001). Blood inorganic mercury level decreased from 0.31 [0.31-0.31] in 1999-2000 to 0.21 [0.21-0.22] µg/L in 2015-2016 (p<0.001). Urine mercury level decreased from 0.75 [0.71-0.80] in 1999-2000 to 0.16 [0.16-0.17] µg/L in 2015-2016 (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION: Blood organic mercury increased over the period 1999-2016 in the US population, including children and pregnant women, whereas there was a steady decline in both blood inorganic mercury level and urine mercury level.