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Effects of metallic mercury on the perimenstrual symptoms and menstrual outcomes of exposed workers
Author(s) -
Yang JianMing,
Chen QiongYu,
Jiang XueZhi
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.10130
Subject(s) - medicine , mercury (programming language) , odds ratio , epidemiology , menstruation , physiology , menstrual cycle , hormone , abdominal pain , obstetrics , gynecology , computer science , programming language
Background Mercury is an important environmental and industrial pollutant and its effect on perimenstrual symptoms and menstrual outcomes is unclear. Methods A retrospective epidemiological investigation was conducted on 296 female workers exposed to mercury vapor and 394 female workers from food processing plants. Both groups included women of 18–44 years of age currently working since last at least 1 year when studied. Women who were currently pregnant, using oral contraceptives (Ocs), an intrauterine device (IUD), and steroid hormones were excluded. Results The air concentration of mercury in the workplace ranged from 0.001–0.200 mg/m 3 . The prevalence of abdominal pain in the exposed group was significantly higher than that in the control group (odds ratio (OR) = 1.47, 95% CI is 1.03–2.11). The prevalence of dysmenorrhea in the exposed group was significantly higher than that in the control group (OR = 1.66, 95% CI is 1.07–2.59). Conclusions An increased prevalence of abnormal menstruation was found in mercury‐exposed workers in China. Dysmenorrhea may be a useful biomarker for assessing female exposure to mercury occupationally. These observations suggest that further studies and preventive measures are warranted. Am. J. Ind. Med. 42:403–409, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.