Resumen

NADORFY DE LOPEZ, Eva  y  MENDEZ, Marisel. An  Epidemiologic Study  over a Population of Dentistry Workers Exposed to  Environmental  Contamination  to Mercury Vapors. Acta odontol. venez [online]. 2000, vol.38, n.3, pp.10-14. ISSN 0001-6365.

The work is an epidemiologic study over a population of 200 pacients auxiliar dentistry, of the femenine sex, exposed to occupational elemental mercury toxic vapors during a period of 5 and 26 years. To define the degree of intoxication  it was taken the time of exposition to the mercury vapors and the levels of urinary mercury, which are  a  function of the levels of environmental mercury. The pacients were classified in 5 groups according   to the concentration of  mercury excreted by urine,  the varianza analysis  was determined with the object  of checking  if  there was a correlation among the urinary mercury, clinic diagnosis and time of exposition to the toxic vapors. The results show an increase in the complexity of the clinical sintoms in function of the levels of urinary mercury and the years of work. The pacients with 10 years or more of work, and with Medium of 40.70 ± 18 mg Hg / l of urine ( Normal values = 0.14 mg Hg / l of urine) showed clinic syntomatology characteristics of mercury toxicity. Being the most affected pacients the ones with 50 mg Hg / l of urine and approximately 20 years of work or more. These pacients showed a case of  chronical hydrargirism and were considered of high risk. The most important sythomas were loose of hair, headache, psichiatric, digestic, kidney, breathing, oftalmic and  locomotives disturbances.

Palabras clave : epidemiologic study; mercury  poisoning; hidrargirism; dentistry  workers; environmental contamination.