Dried blood spots (DBS) represent an alternative and minimally invasive method for classical venous blood sampling especially in field-based research since there is no need for specialized equipment, cold-chain handling, and phlebotomists. There is a growing number of studies studying the use of DBS to assess exposure to Methylmercury (MeHg) and Total Mercury (THg) using samples collected under controlled laboratory conditions, but the method has not yet been validated under field-based research. The present study aims to validate the use of DBS as a tool for mercury assessment in populations with different levels of exposure to mercury compounds. Here we explored a number of factors in two field-based studies: A) DBS samples and field blanks were collected in an Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mine (ASGM) area in Colombia (n=55); and b) paired DBS-blood samples were obtained from e-waste workers (n=20) in Ghana and a set of DBS were created with the whole blood under laboratory conditions. In all cases, three DBS punches of 3mm (=18ul), blank paper, and 18u.l of whole blood were acid digested and analyzed for MeHg and THg. Focusing on the e-waste workers, MeHg concentrations were mean= 1.07 ± 0.60 ug/L in whole blood and DBS, and mean= 0.14 ± 0.06 ug/L for the blanks samples. The results showed no significant differences between DBS created in the laboratory and collected in the field (paired t-test p=0.685) and their respective blanks (paired t-test p=0.536). Paired DBS-blood samples showed a high correlation (r2=0.95). We are currently analyzing the ASGM samples for MeHg and all the samples for THg mercury. The results are expected to increase our understanding of DBS as a potentially novel means to assess mercury exposure. Which could have immediate applications in established programs such as newborn screening and demographic health surveys
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