Renal function in miners intermittently exposed to elemental mercury vapour.

The authors investigated renal damage in 45 mercury miners under conditions of relatively short and low-level exposure to elemental (metallic) mercury vapour (Hg0). The analysis included urinary mercury, immunoelectrophoresis of urinary proteins, immunofixation and high-resolution electrophoresis, quantitative analysis of urinary albumin, and urinary alpha 1-microglobulin before and after exposure. The activity of urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) enzyme was determined after exposure.