INFERTILITY, BIRTH DEFECTS, AND FETAL DEVELOPMENTAL EFFECTS RELATED TO MERCURY FROM DENTAL FILLINGS V

Another study[29] found daily excretion through feces from 10 to 87 ug. A medical laboratory, BIOSPECTRON SWEDEN AB, that has performed thousands of fecal tests for mercury reports a similar range of daily excretion. Large studies that measured mercury levels in saliva have found that over 90 % of mercury in saliva typically comes from amalgam fillings, and the level of mercury found in saliva has a similar range as the studies for level in feces previously quoted[24,29]. A large study of mercury levels in the U.S. military population found average daily excretion levels in urine for subjects with 20 amalgam surfaces to be appoximately 6.2 ug, assuming 2 liters of urine excreted per day[13]. Significant levels of mercury have also been found in sweat and appear to often be more than 2 ug per day for subjects with approximately 1200 ml of sweat per day. Additionally autopsy studies[12] have found that for those with chronic exposure, daily exposure levels are higher than excretion levels so mercury accumulates in the major body organs including the brain, heart, kidneys, liver, etc. Thus altogether daily exposure levels for those with several fillings appear to often exceed 50 ug/day, with exposure levels of over 100 ug/day not uncommon[24,29]. Studies have also found the majority of such exposure to come from vapor rather than particles, with relatively high absorption rates in the body[25].III. Effects of Mercury Exposure on Fertility and Fetal DevelopmentMany studies have documented health effects occurring to the neurological, immune, hormonal, and reproductive systems due to the high levels of mercury accumulating from chronic occupational exposure. But many recent studies have found reproductive effects including infertility and developmental effects in the fetus and infants at much lower levels than those having significant effects on adults. As compared to adults, the fetus and newborns have been found to be much more susceptable to the effects of low levels of mercury exposure due to low body weight with higher food consumption rate per kilogram of body weight, higher gastrointestinal absorption rate, less effective renal excretion, and a less effective blood-brain barrier[33].