Mercury amalgam exposure: Assessment of risks in US after the year 2000

摘要

We read with interest the detailed and comprehensive study carried out in the U.S. population after year 2000 on possible health risks due to Hg~(0) released continuously from mercury-containing dental amalgam fillings by Richardson et al. (2011). We commend the authors for their otherwise excellent review of mercury dental amalgam. The importance of this study lies in three diverse 'scenarios' showing that 'some 67.2 million Americans would exceed the Hg dose associated with the reference exposure level (REL) of 0.3 ug/m3 established by the US Environmental Protection Agency; and 122.3 million Americans would exceed the dose associated with the REL of 0.03 ug/m3 established by the California Environmental Protection Agency.' (Richardson et al., 2011). These findings will be essential to direct future risk assessment studies.